Patty Mills’ latest accolade proves he’s the best Australian athlete

If there was any questions about the regard in which Patty Mills is held, there certainly aren’t anymore after he collected his biggest award yet.

Patty Mills won the highest honour available in Australian sport. Picture: Ron Schwane/Getty Images

He’s an Olympic bronze medallist, he’s universally loved and he’s been a cornerstone for the Boomers since making his international debut in 2007.

Now, Patty Mills can lay claim to being the best athlete in Australia after he was named the latest winner of The Don Award, the most prestigious honour on offer in Australian sport.

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The Don Award is part of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame awards, and is given to an athlete or team who has most inspired the nation through performance and example over the past year.

Mills certainly filled that criteria, and then some.

The 33-year-old made history by becoming Australia’s first Indigenous Olympic flag bearer when he led the nation’s contingent alongside swimmer Cate Campbell at the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Games.

Mills also played a pivotal role as Boomers skipper, promoting the mentality of “gold vibes only” throughout the squad and among the Australian public as the team went on to claim their first ever Olympic medal by winning the bronze medal playoff against Slovenia.

In typical fashion for the Brooklyn Nets star, he provided a humble response upon accepting the award.

“I never set out to win awards like this,” Mills said.

Mills led the way for the Boomers at the Tokyo Games. Picture: Adam Head

“I go about my craft as a professional and learn ways to get better, trying to carry myself in a way that I think can inspire others.

“Being recognised in this way to me isn’t about who I sit alongside, it’s about how I can inspire others with my journey.”

John Bradman, the son of Sir Donald, believed Mills’ displays both on and off the court made him an easy choice for the honour.

“He’s not just a champion player, he’s a champion person, a leader, a star on and off the court, and most of all an inspiration to all of us,” Bradman said.

As he united a nation with his rallying call of “gold vibes only”, Mills led by example on the hardwood in Tokyo.

The point guard finished his time at the Games by scoring the second-most total points with 140 from six games at an average of 23.3 per game.

Joe Ingles and Patty Mills celebrate winning the bronze medal at the Olympics. Picture: Aris Messinis/AFP

Mills was also named as a guard in the FIBA All-Star Five that represented the best five players at the Olympics and has carried that form into his first season with the Brooklyn Nets as another NBA fanbase gets to fall in love with the endearing Aussie.

He starred in his first game for Steve Nash’s side, scoring 21 points off the bench.

Mills’ form from outside the arc has also continued to shine, as he has the second highest percentage of three-pointers made across the entire NBA with a stunning 47.8 per cent.

As for the other award winners at the 2021 Sport Australia Hall of Fame Awards, Evonne Goolagong-Cawley received the inaugural Dawn Award named in honour of the legendary swimmer Dawn Fraser.

The Dawn Award recognises a courageous ground-breaker who demonstrated achievement against the odds and challenged the status quo, and Goolagong-Cawley, who won a whopping seven grand slam singles titles, was deemed a worthy first recipient of the honour.

Originally published as Patty Mills’ latest accolade proves he’s the best Australian athlete