Patty Mills is donating his NBA restart salary to civil rights causes

Patty Mills announced his decision to donate the entirety of his earnings from the NBA restart to Black Lives Matter organizations in his native Australia on Wednesday. The 11-year veteran has vocalized support of social justice causes and participated in charitable endeavors during the leaguewide hiatus, and his eight-game stint in Orlando will equate to $1,017,818.54.

While some players have expressed concern that televised games could detract focus from the international protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, the league has promised to use its platform to spread awareness. These efforts include painting Black Lives Matter on each court and allowing players to display the messages Justice, Peace, and Stand Up across the back of their jerseys.

From raising money to combat forest fires in his homeland to leading a fundraiser for Family Violence Prevention Services in San Antonio, the Spurs guard has been an active member of the global community this season, and that’s nothing new. Mills may play basketball for a living, but his impact reaches far beyond his contributions on the hardwood for the Silver and Black.

Patty launched the Team Mills Foundation in May, a non-profit organization aimed towards supporting minority groups and underprivileged families. He also partnered with Zero Mass Water to start The Community Water Project last summer with a mission of providing clean and sustainable drinking water to remote Indigenous communities throughout the Australian Outback.

For more information about the Team Mills Foundation, click here.