NBA champion Patty Mills officially named general manager of UH men’s basketball

HONOLULU – Home is in Hawai’i.

Los Angeles Clippers guard and Australian Boomers legend Patty Mills was named the first-ever general manager for the University of Hawai’i men’s basketball program, the school announced on Monday morning. According to a press release from UH, the five-time Olympian and 16-year NBA veteran will support student-athlete mentorship and development in his role while assisting in recruiting, community engagement and fundraising.

The move for the Rainbow Warriors program comes as the collegiate athletics landscape continues to evolve, seeing multiple programs tab professional personnel as general managers to assist with a wide range of tasks relating to programs. NBA Hall of Famer and champion Dr. Shaquille O’Neal joined on as the GM for Sacramento State men’s basketball this offseason shortly after the hiring of Mike Bibby as the program’s head coach, assisting in recruiting, player and professional development along with marketing in a volunteer capacity.

Mills shares many things in common with O’Neal as an NBA champion, an Olympic medalist and now as someone who will forgo a salary in his role as general manager at the college level, serving on a volunteer basis. With history in the islands dating back nearly 20 years and a cultural connection, the NBA veteran couldn’t help but exude gratitude after being officially named the program’s GM.

“It’s a true honor to step into this role and I definitely don’t take it lightly,” Mills said in a video call with the media after the announcement. “It wasn’t until 2016 that Hawai’i truly became home for me and my family, and at that moment, I felt a spiritual connection to the people, to the culture and to all the values that echo those of my own communities back home.”

An alum of Saint Mary’s College, the NBA veteran’s history with the islands dates back to the mid-2000s when a freshman Mills turned in a tournament MVP-level effort to assist the Gaels in winning the 2007 Rainbow Classic title. The Australian guard and Rainbow Warriors head coach Eran Ganot have long held a mutual respect and stayed in touch over the years after first crossing paths nearly two decades back, talking about the program and basketball in Hawai’i as a whole before ultimately adding Mills to the program in an official capacity.

“It’s a special day for a lot of great reasons,” Ganot said of the hire during a break in the first day of UH’s keiki basketball camp. “[Patty] has been an advocate for growing the game and giving back and anything he’s been involved in has been a success – and he’s hands-on, so when he’s in town, he’ll be more in-person. When he’s afar, he’ll be checking in … Just a great human being and I’m honored to know him.”

Mills spoke to his relationship with Ganot as well, referring to the longtime Hawai’i coach as a mentor and someone that he can look up to and trust greatly. The two consistently had discussions about hoops over the past 10 years that Ganot has been at the helm for the Rainbow Warriors, bouncing ideas off each other while trying to help to grow the sport in a place they each love.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Coach Ganot,” Mills told the media. “The course of our relationship at UH and the moments we’ve been able to share … this made a lot of sense to be able to make it official. Like I said, it feels like we’ve been doing this for a long time – this just legitimizes it.”

The addition of Mills as the program’s general manager continues an offseason of change and excitement for the Rainbow Warriors. After seeing the majority of last year’s roster hit the transfer portal or graduate, Hawai’i has added eight new faces in the portal while welcoming another talented freshman in Hunter Carter.

Ganot shared a small dash of excitement about the incoming class while teasing that the work still is not finished in rebuilding the roster. The head coach also mentioned an interest in potentially bringing back the Patty Mills North Shore Classic, which the Rainbow Warriors won in 2022, while talking about trying to continue the program’s outreach to the communities across the state.

“We’re excited about the class coming in,” the head coach smiled. “There will be more exciting news on the horizon and [bringing in Patty Mills] is incredible and it continues to keep our values intact. We got the perfect guy to continue to help us navigate this [time in college sports].”