Patty Mills does NOT deserve his jersey retired, but I wouldn’t be mad at it…
Happy Birthday, Patty Mills! The former Spurs fan favorite is now 34 years old. I remember the good old days when Patty came off the bench and started lighting it up from 3. Spurs fans fell in love with Mills, who played ten seasons with the Silver and Black. Got me wondering… Should the Spurs one day retire Patty Mills’ jersey?
This might sound like a silly question, since Mills was primary a role player who averaged around ten points per game for the Spurs. Retiring a jersey is obvious when it comes to Hall of Famers, like Tim Duncan, David Robinson, George Gervin, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker (who is HOF eligible next year).
The thing is, the Spurs have a history of honoring those who had supporting roles on the team. Sean Elliott was a two-time All Star who made the biggest shot in Spurs history – the Memorial Day Miracle. Like Mills, Elliott was a fan favorite, but I doubt other franchises would have honored someone who averaged a career 14 points per game.
The Spurs also retired the jerseys of Avery Johnson, who knocked down the series clincher in the 1999 NBA Finals… Bruce Bowen, who made All-NBA Defensive teams 8 times… along with James Silas (played only 5 seasons with the Spurs) and Johnny Moore (who averaged 9 points per game in his career).
If that’s the criteria, then I think Patty Mills has a legit argument. Patty won a ring with the Spurs in 2014. He is second all-time in franchise history for three-pointers made, trailing only Manu Ginobili. Like Elliott and Avery, Mills is a fan favorite who became highly active in the San Antonio community. Plus, Patty provided us with the saying, “Game Day, Bala! Game Day!”
Mills’ number 8 jersey is oddly iconic in San Antonio. I’m not saying Patty deserves to have his number retired, but I wouldn’t be mad if the Spurs one day gave him that honor. I’d be in the stands cheering, Patty. Just like the good old days.
What do you think? Does Patty Mills deserve to have his jersey retired? Reach out to Michael on Twitter @MikeESPNSA. You can listen to Michael on “Halftime” weekdays from Noon to 2 p.m. on 94.1 FM.
