Nate McMillan

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

McMillan grew up in the heart of North Carolina's basketball country and attended Raleigh's William G. Enloe High School, where he went unnoticed by major college scouts. After playing for two years at Chowan College (then a two-year school) in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, he returned to Raleigh to play for Jim Valvano at North Carolina State. McMillan helped lead NC State to a first-place tie in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season in 1985, and to the Elite Eight in both the 1985 and 1986 NCAA championship tournaments, where the Wolfpack lost to St. John's and Kansas, respectively. During his time at NC State, McMillan played alongside a number of fellow future NBA players: Spud Webb, Lorenzo Charles, Cozell McQueen, Chris Washburn, Vinny Del Negro, Charles Shackleford and Chucky Brown.

In Their Own Story

McMillan left Seattle on July 6, 2005, to take the helm of the Portland Trail Blazers. He inherited a team with cap problems and off-court drama, earning the nickname "Sarge" for his hard-nosed style. On December 5, 2009, he ruptured his right Achilles tendon during practice but returned in a protective boot to guide the team to 50 wins despite historic injuries. He later coached the Indiana Pacers from 2016 to 2020, leading them to four consecutive playoff appearances even after trading Paul George in 2017. This success was driven by Victor Oladipo's rise as the league's Most Improved Player and Domantas Sabonis becoming an All-Star. After a contract extension on August 12, 2020, he was fired just two weeks later following a first-round sweep.

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, then a rookie and the number two pick in the 1990 draft. 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, McMillan helped the SuperSonics reach the NBA Finals against the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. The SuperSonics were the only team to beat the Bulls three times that season (once in the regular season and twice in the playoffs). Known as "Mr. Sonic" for his 19 years of service to the team, his number 10 jersey was retired by the SuperSonics.

Did You Know?

• McMillan shares the NBA rookie record for assists in a single game with 25.
• He was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons.
• McMillan led the NBA in steals per game for the 1993–94 season.
• He helped the SuperSonics reach the NBA Finals in the 1995–96 season.