{"id":85073,"date":"2022-01-26T04:49:17","date_gmt":"2022-01-26T04:49:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=85073"},"modified":"2022-01-26T04:49:17","modified_gmt":"2022-01-26T04:49:17","slug":"hes-in-a-position-to-have-a-huge-influence-mills-praised-after-australia-day-honour-by-roy-ward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/hes-in-a-position-to-have-a-huge-influence-mills-praised-after-australia-day-honour-by-roy-ward\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018He\u2019s in a position to have a huge influence\u2019: Mills praised after Australia Day honour By Roy Ward"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018He\u2019s in a position to have a huge influence\u2019: Mills praised after Australia Day honour By Roy Ward<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n

Source<\/span>:smh.com.au<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

First he empowered his teammates, then he inspired the nation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Patty Mills led the Australian Boomers to the nation\u2019s first Olympic medal in men\u2019s basketball at the Tokyo Games with a record 42-point performance against Slovenia in the bronze-medal game.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"\u2018He\u2019s
Australian basketballer Patty Mills received an Australia Day honour.CREDIT:MATTHEW ADEKPONYA\/GETTY IMAGES<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Mills, 33, who is among a handful of sporting stars recognised with Australia Day honours for their achievements on the world stage, was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and praised for his ability to unite. He was honoured for significant service to basketball, to charitable initiatives and to the Indigenous community.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s done it in a way which has not been divisive,\u201d basketball legend Andrew Gaze told\u00a0The Age<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Sydney Morning Herald<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the thing that sticks out the most, and we live in a world right now that is highly divisive, yet he\u2019s been out to make a contribution with his actions as well as his words, and do it in a way that tries to educate \u2013 not demand and not divide.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
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Fellow Olympian\u00a0Emma McKeon<\/a>, who collected seven swimming medals in Tokyo including four golds, was also made a Member of the Order of Australia, along with Formula One driver\u00a0Daniel Ricciardo<\/a>, who was recognised for significant service to motorsport, charitable initiatives and the community.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\u2018He\u2019s
Jessica Fox crosses the finish line to win gold in Tokyo.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wheelchair tennis champion Dylan Alcott was honoured for his disability advocacy and his domination of the sport, having achieved an elusive \u201cgolden slam\u201d for winning all the majors and Olympic gold in a calendar year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jessica Fox<\/a>, the three-time Olympian in canoeing who finally broke through for gold in Tokyo, was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to sport and advocating for gender equality.\u00a0Matildas captain Sam Kerr<\/a>, who has scored more goals for Australia than any other player, male or female, also received an OAM, along with former swimmer Linley Frame and former\u00a0Australian cricketer and administrator Tony Dodemaide<\/a>, who is now a selector for the national men\u2019s team.<\/span><\/p>\n

Last year was a special one for Mills. The unforgettable bronze medal in Tokyo had basketball lifers and casual fans sobbing with joy. He also launched the Indigenous Community Basketball League in eight locations around Australia and changed NBA sides, leaving his team of 10 years, the San Antonio Spurs, for the star-studded Brooklyn Nets.<\/span><\/p>\n

Boomers coach Brian Goorjian said it was clear around the Olympic Village in Tokyo that Mills, a proud Kokatha, Naghiralgal, Dauareb-Meriam man, had universal respect.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\u2018He\u2019s
Patty Mills embraces teammate Joe Ingles.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just known around the sporting industry that this guy is a tremendous leader, that he cares,\u201d Goorjian said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s about the right things. He\u2019s a positive influence.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cEverybody can talk, the truth is in the doing, the people he was touching, the impact he was having on the Australian team and sport in general.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen with his Indigenous background and his ability and power that he has to bring all of this together. In a timeline now, where you\u2019re dealing with a lot of social issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of stuff spinning around the world and Australia needs a positive influence.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPatty just is in a position where he can have a huge influence and we\u2019re so fortunate that his influence is so powerful, not just on the Boomers but on the whole country.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Mills told Good Weekend last year<\/a>\u00a0that he felt a deep connection to the stories handed down through the generations of his family via traditional song and dance.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cYou start to see, this thing goes deep,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m deeply connected to both sides of my family in ways that I\u2019m not sure I can get across, in ways that many people will never understand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mills has previously voiced his desire for the date of Australia Day to change from January 26 to one all Australians could enjoy together.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFrom slavery to mass murders, this day means extreme loss and trauma to all Indigenous Australians,\u201d Mills wrote in an Instagram post on January 26, 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cSo if the foundation of this very day is centred around a British culture that killed to establish control over a country that was not their own \u2013 whether you are an Indigenous or non-Indigenous Australian, what exactly is there to celebrate on this particular day?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
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He called on non-Indigenous Australians to demand a date change.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A post shared by Patty Mills (@balapat)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n