Nate McMillan

Nate McMillan

McMillan visiting the Oregon National Guard
No. 10
Shooting guard / Small forward
Personal information
Born	(1964-08-03) August 3, 1964 Raleigh, North Carolina
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school	William G. Enloe (Raleigh, North Carolina)
College	Chowan College (1982–1984) North Carolina State (1984–1986)
NBA Draft	1986 / Round: 2 / Pick: 30th overall
Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics
Pro career	1986–1998
Career history
As player:
1986–1998	Seattle SuperSonics
As coach:
2000–2005	Seattle SuperSonics
2005–2012	Portland Trail Blazers
Career highlights and awards
NBA steals leader (1994) 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1994–1995) #10 Retired by the Seattle SuperSonics
Career NBA statistics
Points	4,733 (5.9 ppg)
Assists	4,893 (6.1 apg)
Steals	1,544 (1.9 spg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Nathaniel "Nate" McMillan (born August 3, 1964 in Raleigh, North Carolina) is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. Prior to his coaching stint with the Blazers, McMillan was head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics for five years, after succeeding Paul Westphal in 2000.

Early life and college career

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 a brief basketball career at Chowan College in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, he returned to Raleigh to play for Jim Valvano at North Carolina State University, before entering the NBA. McMillan helped lead NC State to a first place tie in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season in 1985, and the Elite Eight in both the 1985 and 1986 NCAA Championship Tournaments.

NBA career

McMillan was drafted by the Sonics with the 30th pick in the 1986 draft. He would spend 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 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. Known as "Mr. Sonic" for his 19 years of service to the team, his #10 jersey was retired by the Sonics. He was also known to be one third of the "Big Mac" team of the Seattle SuperSonics in the late 80's and early 90's, the others being Xavier McDaniel and Derrick McKey.

Coaching career

After retiring in 1998, McMillan stayed with the Seattle franchise, earning a place as an assistant coach. He held this role until 2000, when he was named interim coach of the Sonics. Although the team missed the playoffs during his first year as coach, he provided a major turnaround after the franchise got off to a miserable start that year, and he was hired as head coach for the next 2001-02 campaign. McMillan led the clubs to the playoffs in his second year before back-to-back mediocre seasons. In his final year as Sonics coach, McMillan led the team to a Northwest Division title in 2005.

After 19 years with the Seattle organization, McMillan left Seattle on July 7, 2005 to become the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. He took over a team riddled with cap problems and off-the-court drama, but steadily calmed the waters in Portland.

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

On December 5, 2009, McMillan ruptured his right Achilles tendon while scrimmaging with the Trail Blazers during practice. McMillian coached much of the season in a protective boot after surgery and led the team to 50 wins in spite of an historic number of injuries to his key players.

On March 15, 2012, McMillan was fired as the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.

McMillan again served as an assistant coach under Mike Krzyzewski for the US national team during the 2012 London Summer Olympics.

Head coaching record

Legend
Regular season	G	Games coached	W	Games won	L	Games lost	W–L %	Win-loss %
Post season	PG	Playoff games	PW	Playoff wins	PL	Playoff losses	PW–L %	Playoff win-loss %

Team	Year	G	W	L	W–L%	Finish	PG	PW	PL	PW–L%	Result
SEA	2000–01	67	38	29	.567	5th in Pacific	—	—	—	—	Missed Playoffs
SEA	2001–02	82	45	37	.549	4th in Pacific	5	2	3	.400	Lost in First Round
SEA	2002–03	82	40	42	.488	5th in Pacific	—	—	—	—	Missed Playoffs
SEA	2003–04	82	37	45	.451	5th in Pacific	—	—	—	—	Missed Playoffs
SEA	2004–05	82	52	30	.634	1st in Northwest	11	6	5	.545	Lost in Conf. Semifinals
POR	2005–06	82	21	61	.256	5th in Northwest	—	—	—	—	Missed Playoffs
POR	2006–07	82	32	50	.390	3rd in Northwest	—	—	—	—	Missed Playoffs
POR	2007–08	82	41	41	.500	3rd in Northwest	—	—	—	—	Missed Playoffs
POR	2008–09	82	54	28	.659	1st in Northwest	6	2	4	.333	Lost in First Round
POR	2009–10	82	50	32	.610	3rd in Northwest	6	2	4	.333	Lost in First Round
POR	2010–11	82	48	34	.585	3rd in Northwest	6	2	4	.333	Lost in First Round
POR	2011–12	43	20	23	.465	Fired midseason	—	—	—	—
Career		930	478	452	.514		34	14	20	.412

Personal life

McMillan's son Jamelle McMillan played as a guard for the Arizona State Sun Devils.

See also

• List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders
• List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game

External links

• Career NBA stats as a player
• Career NBA stats as a coach