In his first season with the Nets, Patty Mills has made an impact not just on the stat sheet but with his character as well.
It appears the league has taken notice as well which is why Mills has been named a finalist for the 2021-22 NBA Sportsmanship Award, representing the Atlantic Division.
The award, which has been around since 1996, honors the player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court.
The Australian-native, who spent the last 10 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, has played great for Brooklyn this season in both a starting role and coming off the bench.
With each team nominating a player for the award, the finalists have now been cut down to six with Mills, Cleveland Cavaliers’ Darius Garland, Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo, Denver Nuggets’ Jeff Green, Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. and Phoenix Suns’ Mikal Bridges all in the mix.
Mills is looking to become the first Nets player — both Brooklyn and New Jersey — to win the award.
In 75 games, Mills has averaged career highs in both starts (46) and minutes played (29.3) while averaging a career-high 11.8 points per game, on 40.1 percent three-point shooting.