Green and Goals: Mills and Ingles set NBA pace in FIBA

• Latest News: Read more about Aussies in the NBA
• Two of the top four active NBA players for FIBA appearances are Australians, Mills and Ingles.
• Patty Mills takes on a new title: GM of Hawaii

When it comes to representing their country, few NBA players have shown the same loyalty as Australia’s Patty Mills and Joe Ingles.

A new HoopsHype study of FIBA competitions confirms what Boomers fans already knew: the pair have been among the most committed players on the planet, pulling on the green and gold year after year.

They have also shared in some of the most successful and heartbreaking moments in Australian basketball. From the Bronze medal in Tokyo, to the heartbreak of the Rio Olympics, they have been side by side, brothers in the Australian coat of arms.

Patty Mills has been so successful on the international stage he has even been dubbed "FIBA Patty" for his elite performances at the national level, where he averages 16.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game since debuting in 2007.

He was rewarded for his commitment to Australia by being given the honour of carrying the flag for Australia alongside swimmer Cate Campbell at the Tokyo Olympics.

“To be able to be the first Indigenous person to do that I think is a sign of bringing people together, [and] is a real strength in being able to move forward,” Mills told James Rush.

“To do that for Australia with the Australian team behind me was a proud moment.”

And as he left the tournament with a bronze medal, Australia's first on the global stage, he left behind one of the most memorable photos in Australian sports history, embracing teammate Joe Ingles after a 107-93 win over Luka Doncic and Slovenia to claim the medal.

“Me and him are very close and have been for a long time, and have been through a lot together,” Mills said.

“One of those hugs where neither of us wanted to break the hug – I felt that one a lot, and I think he did too.”

Active NBA players in FIBA competitions

The list of active NBA players with the most FIBA appearances has two familiar faces right near the very top.

Mills and Ingles sit inside the top four globally, each with more than a decade of service to the Boomers across Olympics, World Cups and other FIBA tournaments.

Mills has played five Olympics, three World Cups and four other major international tournaments, while Ingles has matched that dedication with five Olympic campaigns, four World Cups and three other tournaments. For perspective, they sit above the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić, Rudy Gobert and Luka Dončić in terms of appearances.

It is a clear sign of just how deeply the Boomers’ core has valued international basketball, not just showing up for the Olympics, but suiting up year after year in the lead-up competitions that laid the groundwork for Australia’s breakthrough bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

"Competing for Australia is why I started playing the game. Growing up, I wanted to represent Australia. That was all I wanted to do. The NBA, and even playing professionally in Australia seemed so far at the time," Ingles told the FIBA website.

"Watching Australia at the Olympics and the World Cups was what I watched, what we got to see in Australia. The first time putting on that jersey was special."

All-time NBA players

Looking at the wider list of all NBA players in FIBA competitions, the Australians again stand tall. Mills and Ingles appear alongside some of the most loyal servants of international basketball, including Argentina’s Luis Scola, Puerto Rico’s Jose Ortiz, Spain’s Pau Gasol and France’s Boris Diaw.

For Australians, it underlines the golden generation’s commitment.

As Mills enters the upcoming season without an NBA contract, Australian basketball fans can only hope we get to see him once again in the green and gold.

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