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Former Spurs Star Makes Major Career Announcement on Monday
Former Spurs Star Makes Major Career Announcement on Monday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
As the 2025-26 campaign approaches, the University of Hawaii men's basketball program is preparing for a pivotal transition.
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Under the guidance of 10th-year head coach Eran Ganot, the Rainbow Warriors closed out last season with a 15-16 overall mark and a 7-13 record in Big West play, finishing ninth in the conference and missing the postseason tournament for the first time since 2009-10.
Despite a strong home record (13-7 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center), inconsistency on the road (2-9) and in conference tipped the balance toward a rebuilding year.
However, on Monday, Hawaii Athletics announced a landmark hire: NBA champion and FIBA luminary Patty Mills will join the Rainbow Warriors as the program's first-ever general manager.
Selected 55th overall in the 2009 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, Mills signed with the San Antonio Spurs in 2012 and was a key contributor off the bench en route to their 2014 title.
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Over the course of 16 seasons, Mills played for seven franchises, including the Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Blazers and most notably the Spurs.
A fixture on the Australian Boomers, Mills has represented his country since 2007. As captain at Tokyo 2020, he scored an Olympic medal-game record 42 points to secure Australia's first-ever Olympic medal.
Australia guard Patty Mills (5).© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images
As a longtime Oahu resident during the NBA offseason, Mills brings both international basketball pedigree and deep local ties to the role.
Off the court, Mills has been a committed community figure on Oahu's North Shore for over a decade.
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In 2022, he sponsored the inaugural Patty Mills North Shore Classic, a four-team tournament hosted in Laie, where Hawaii clinched the title.
"This role is not only a professional milestone, but a personal one as well," Mills said.
In remarks shared on Monday, Ganot noted, 'Having immersed himself in the island culture for the last decade, Patty shares those values and his love for the islands is abundantly clear."
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
