Spurs By The Numbers - The Ultim8, Patty Mills

When I joined Pounding The Rock, I pitched a project that would cover every player who ever wore a Spurs jersey. Not equally, by any means, but each jersey would be identified numerically by the players who wore it.

There is a significance to the numbers of jerseys as it pertains to the five NBA Championships that have been won by the San Antonio Spurs.

There is only one jersey number associated with all five San Antonio Spurs NBA Championships- #21. Tim Duncan. He is coincidentally also the only player to be involved in all five titles.

There are five numbers associated with four Spurs titles. #9 (Tony Parker) and #20 Manu Ginobili, as well as #2 (Jaren Jackson-1999, Nazr Mohammed- 2005, Melvin Ely- 2007, and Kawhi Leonard- 2014), #4 (Steve Kerr- 1999, Sean Marks- 2005, Michael Finley- 2007, and Danny Green- 2014), and #11 (Brandon Williams- 1999, Mike Wilks- 2005, Jacque Vaughn- 2007, Jeff Ayers- 2014).

The next set of jersey numbers are those associated with three of the Spurs NBA titles.

Those numbers are 3, 5, 8, 12, 17, and 33. Today we look a final look at the longest current tenured member of the San Antonio Spurs and the man who has worn #8 the longest.

#8

Patty Mills

I could go on and on about Patty Mills, his athleticism, his humanitarianism, his heroics on and off the court. But instead, check out Mills, year by year.

Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images

Let’s get one thing straight.

Photos by D. Clarke Evans/NBAE via Getty Images

There’s just one mate.

Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

Brought by fate.

Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images

To share his infectious trait

Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

And though he joined late.

Photos by Chris Covatta/NBAE via Getty Images

No one can hate.

Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images

He was well worth the wait.

Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images

The one true great #8.

Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images

My most memorable story is how Pop made an effort to make mention of Eddie Mabo Day just two days before the 2014 Finals, one of the best runs in Spurs history. Mills and the Spurs are a great match, both on and off the court.

He was the first member of the Spurs to sign my commemorative team keepsake after the 2014 Finals, and he was the nicest guy to meet in person.

I hope Patty retires with the Spurs organization, and I hope they retire his number, #8. The only number he has ever worn.

Next up: #12 belongs to one man, sort of . . .

---

Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.