'You can't be what you can't see': Basketball ACT embraces Patty Mills to celebrate NAIDOC week

From July 3-10, Basketball ACT will join NAIDOC week celebrations as they recognise the contribution Indigenous and Torres Strait Islanders have made to the sport.

One of those contributors is basketball legend Patty Mills who was born and raised in Canberra before moving to the USA to pursue his NBA dream.

Mills is one of Australia's most famous athletes but has become an even bigger legend off the court due to his mountain of charity work.

Which includes launching his own basketball program for Indigenous and Torres Strait Islanders.

Basketball ACT general manager of operations Nicole Bowles believes players such as Patty Mills are the perfect role models for the next generation.

"You can't be what you can't see, the fact is he is such an important role model and a great person, he gives a lot back to things like Indigenous Basketball Australia, his academy programs," Bowles said.

"If you follow him you always see him constantly in the Torres Strait community, sharing the love of basketball with everyone even though he is on an NBA contract just speaks to the person that he is."

Basketball ACT's NAIDOC celebrations will kick off on Monday and will feature Indigenous/First Nations rounds across numerous competitions, including the Premier League and NBL1 East.

The Warriors Basketball Club NAIDOC tournament will also feature in the week, with the tournament taking place from July 8-10 at Belconnen Basketball Stadium and Tuggeranong Southern Cross Stadium.

Nicole Bowles said NAIDOC week allowed us to recognise the contribution that Indigenous and Torres Strait Islanders have made to basketball.

"I think celebrating NAIDOC week is really important for the basketball community in terms of recognising the contribution that aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders have made to basketball within the ACT."

"It's a great web to get out and come together to help learn and educate and have really good conversations around our history and how we can be more educated and informed about our culture and heritage."

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