Patty Mills surprises Brian Goorjian with Boomers’ commitment

We all know that Patty Mills bleeds green and gold, but Boomers coach Brian Goorjian was blown away by Mills’ passion for Australia.

Patty Mills wants to win Australia’s first Olympic medal. Picture: Zhizhao Wu/Getty Images

Boomers coach Brian Goorjian is always pleasantly surprised when it comes to veteran guard Patty Mills, but he says this situation exceeded his expectations.

Goorjian is on a zoom conference call with Australia’s NBA players, just days after being appointed Australian coach for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Much of the conversation centred around fears the length of the NBA season would prevent stars from representing their countries at the Olympics.

The scheduled NBA finals end a day before the Games begin on July 23, meaning any quarantine time would make it difficult for NBA players competing in the post-season to join their national teams.

Mills, though, took control of the zoom meeting to declare his allegiance to the Boomers for the Tokyo Olympics as he aims to win that elusive men’s medal.

“It shocked me,” Goorjian said frankly.

“I’ve been away from the Boomers system and I saw it (NBA players playing at the Olympics) like everyone else – it is a big ask and these guys are going to try.

“But that is not what came from them at all, and Patty led the way.

“He said, ‘No man, I’m there, we’re in and we are doing this, and we are getting that gold medal’.

“It was strong, and powerful, and there was no if this happens or what if we make this.

“No, man, I’m playing and that is it.”

Mills’ passion and raw honesty blew Goorjian away.

He knew the proud Australian bled green and gold, but his determination to don his nation’s colours was truly inspiring.

“It energised me hugely,” he said.

“It is going to take a lot or something crazy for Patty not to be in uniform and representing Australia.”

Boomers coach Brian Goorjian said Mills’ passion for Australia blew him away. Picture: Zhizhao Wu/Getty Images.

Goorjian’s Boomers experience was vastly different when he took over the Australian team after the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

Established veterans like Andrew Gaze, Mark Bradtke and Andrew Vlahov retired from international basketball, forcing the team to rebuild.

This left Goorjian to work tirelessly on the Australian culture and what it meant to be a Boomer in the lead-up to the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Flash forward to today, and the current crop of Boomers led by Mills, Joe Ingles, Aron Baynes and Matthew Dellavedova already have a detailed understanding of the Australian basketball psyche.

Goorjian knows this will help him significantly heading into what will be a shortened, and restricted, preparation for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

“The thing that is reassuring is that the player’s part in the culture now is so far beyond what I was last part of,” he said.

“It is so deep that you walk away from that thinking, ‘Man, this gives you a much better chance when that box is ticked’.

“One of the things I’ve realised after being on the outside and coming back in and communicating with the likes of Joe (Ingles), Patty and Baynes, is just how dedicated they are.

“It has really taken me back to the green and gold.

“There are question marks over the NBA guys playing at the Olympics, but I couldn’t be stronger on that group doing everything they can for the green and gold – it’s exciting.”

Originally published as Patty Mills surprises Brian Goorjian with Boomers’ commitment