Patrick Mills happy in China, looking ahead to London Olympics – NBA Update
Portland Trail Blazers star Patrick Mills has said he doesn’t regret coming to China at all and that he is enjoying his time in the Far East. The Australian also stated that he thought playing in China was a good way to get ready
for the London Olympics in 2012.
Mills was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2009 and had become a part of their rotation during his time in the NBA. When the NBA lockout began, Mills went to play in Australia with the Melbourne Tigers.
From there he had an opportunity to go to China with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers. As Mills was a free agent, he could sign with the Chinese team where he is reportedly being paid $1.25 million, a much larger amount than what he
would have warranted in the NBA.
That being said, the player could potentially get casted away from the American league and find it difficult to get back when his contract with the Chinese team ends. He himself though doesn’t have any such fears and is happy
that the NBA lockout is ending, something that took him by surprise.
‘‘It’s great the NBA is finally going to be back on, we hadn’t heard much about it and then it came out,’’ Mills said in an interview published by the Canberra Post. ‘‘I knew what I was getting into coming over here to China.”
Chinese rules stipulate that Mills cannot return to the NBA midseason and the player is perfectly OK with it. He said he is enjoying playing in a new league and learning things along the way that would likely help him when he represents
the Aussies in the London Olympics.
‘‘Obviously I want to play in the NBA, but this situation is the right place for me to get ready for the London Olympics with the Boomers.”
He believed that the experience could indeed even help him in getting back to the NBA as a better player.
‘‘It’s getting the best out of me ... I want to develop my game and hopefully this sets me up to be at the peak of my game for London and then going back [to the NBA].’’
About the Chinese league, Mills said he got along fine as most instructions were in English. He also spoke about the physicality of the game over in China and said he was very excited at being a part of it.
‘‘They smash each other in the games and they smash each other at training,’’ Mills said.
‘‘I’m so pumped about being over here and I’m excited.”
The Chinese season ends in March.
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