Nate McMillan

Lore & Background

McMillan spent his entire 12-year NBA playing career with the SuperSonics, then served as an assistant coach for one-and-a-half years and as head coach for almost five years. His long tenure as a player and coach in Seattle earned him the nickname 'Mr. Sonic'. He earned the nickname 'Sarge' for his hard-nosed coaching style with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Reader's Guide

McMillan was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 30th pick in the 1986 NBA draft. He spent his entire NBA career in Seattle. During his 12-year playing career, McMillan put up career averages of 5.9 points, 6.1 assists and 1.9 steals. He still shares (with Ernie DiGregorio) the NBA rookie record for assists in a single game with 25.

McMillan served as the primary starting point guard for the SuperSonics from the time he replaced Danny Young midway through the 1986–87 season, until he was replaced at the start of the 1990–91 season by future NBA Hall-of-Famer Gary Payton. McMillan was known for his superb defense, leading the NBA in steals per game for the 1993–94 season and being named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons. McMillan was also known for his balanced play, which led to four career triple-doubles.

In the 1995–96 season, he helped the SuperSonics reach the NBA Finals against the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. Known as 'Mr. Sonic' for his 19 years of service to the team, his number 10 jersey was retired by the SuperSonics. After retiring in 1998, McMillan stayed in Seattle as an assistant under Paul Westphal. He held this role until 2000 when the Sonics fired Westphal and made McMillan interim coach.

He was hired as head coach for the 2001–02 campaign. In the 2004–05 season, he led the team to 52–30 record in the regular season. After spending 19 years in Seattle as a player and coach, McMillan left Seattle on July 6, 2005, to become the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. His hard-nosed coaching style earned him the nickname 'Sarge.'

On December 5, 2009, McMillan ruptured his right Achilles tendon while scrimmaging with the Trail Blazers during practice. McMillan coached the Blazers until March 15, 2012. On July 1, 2013, McMillan was hired by the Indiana Pacers as an assistant coach. In May 2016, after former head coach Frank Vogel's contract was not extended, McMillan was promoted to replace Vogel as the Pacers' coach.

On August 12, 2020, Indiana announced that they had extended McMillan's contract. However, he was then fired a mere two weeks later, on August 26, 2020, after the Pacers were swept in the first round of the playoffs for the second year in a row. On November 11, 2020, the Atlanta Hawks hired McMillan as an assistant coach under Lloyd Pierce.

Did You Know?

• McMillan was an assistant coach under Mike Krzyzewski for the U.S. national team in the 2006 FIBA World Championship and in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, winning bronze and gold medals, respectively.
• McMillan is a member of the National Junior College Basketball Hall of Fame, due to his All-American performance at Chowan.