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Patty Mills To Donate More Than $1 Million To Australian Black Lives Matter Movement

"Every cent from these eight games."
Patty Mills #8 of the San Antonio Spurs (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Lachlan Cunningham via Getty Images
Patty Mills #8 of the San Antonio Spurs (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

San Antonio Spurs star Patty Mills announced Wednesday that he will donate his entire salary from the NBA’s restart to a trio of Australian social justice causes.

“I’m proud to say I’m taking every cent from these eight games that we’re playing, which for me will turn out to be $1,017,818 and 54 cents, and donating that directly back to Black Lives Matter Australia, Black Deaths in Custody and to a recent campaign that’s called the We Got You campaign ― dedicated to ending racism in sport in Australia,” Mills said in a video posted on the Spurs Twitter.

Mills′ salary for the 2019-20 season is approximately $12.4 million, per Spotrac.

The 31-year-old, who is from Muralag (Torres Strait) and Ynunga (South Australia) mob, is averaging a career-best 11.7 points to go along with 1.8 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 63 games (one start) this season.

The Spurs (27-36) reside four games behind the Memphis Grizzlies (32-33) for the eighth and final seed win at the Western Conference.

Mills touched down in Florida this week as his team enters the NBA’s “bubble” at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.

Mills told reporters that he has been inspired by the global wave of protests against racial injustices following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May.

“For the first time in my career, I have white people — teammates, old teammates, old coaches — telling me they never knew the level of racism that exists in sport, especially in Australia,” Mills said.

“They haven’t felt comfortable asking me, as a Black Australian, about racism before, which speaks to the impact and value of the Black Lives Matter movement and the millions who have participated in protests around the world.”

With additional reporting from Reuters.

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