 McMillan with theAtlanta Hawks in 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Los Angeles Lakers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Assistant coach | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | NBA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1964-08-03)August 3, 1964 (age 60) Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High school | William G. Enloe (Raleigh, North Carolina) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 1986: 2nd round, 30th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by theSeattle SuperSonics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1986–1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Point guard /shooting guard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 1998–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As player: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1986–1998 | Seattle SuperSonics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As coach: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Seattle SuperSonics (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2005 | Seattle SuperSonics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2012 | Portland Trail Blazers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2016 | Indiana Pacers (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2020 | Indiana Pacers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Atlanta Hawks (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Atlanta Hawks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–present | Los Angeles Lakers (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career NBA statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Points | 4,733 (5.9 ppg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assists | 4,893 (6.1 apg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Steals | 1,544 (1.9 spg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stats at NBA.com  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Nathaniel McMillan (born August 3, 1964) is an Americanbasketball coach and former player who serves as an assistant coach for theLos Angeles Lakers of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He coached theSeattle SuperSonics from 2000 to 2005, thePortland Trail Blazers from 2005 to 2012, and theIndiana Pacers from 2016 to 2020. Nate served as an assistant coach for theAtlanta Hawks in 2021, before becoming the head coach from 2021 to 2023. He spent his entire 12-year NBA playing career with the SuperSonics, then served as an assistant coach for one-and-a-half years and as head coach for almost five years. His long tenure as a player and coach in Seattle earned him the nickname "Mr. Sonic".
McMillan grew up in the heart of North Carolina's basketball country and attended Raleigh'sWilliam G. Enloe High School, where he went unnoticed by major college scouts. After playing for two years atChowan College (then a two-year school) inMurfreesboro, North Carolina,[1][2] he returned to Raleigh to play forJim Valvano atNorth Carolina State. McMillan helped lead NC State to a first-place tie in theAtlantic Coast Conference regular season in 1985, and to theElite Eight in both the 1985 and 1986 NCAA championship tournaments, where the Wolfpack lost toSt. John's andKansas, respectively. During his time at NC State, McMillan played alongside a number of fellow future NBA players:Spud Webb,Lorenzo Charles,Cozell McQueen,Chris Washburn,Vinny Del Negro,Charles Shackleford andChucky Brown.
McMillan was drafted by theSeattle SuperSonics with the 30th pick in the1986 NBA draft. He spent 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 (withErnie DiGregorio) the NBA rookie record for assists in a single game with 25. McMillan served as the primary starting point guard for the SuperSonics from the time he replacedDanny Young midway through the 1986–87 season, until he was replaced at the start of the 1990–91 season by future NBA Hall-of-FamerGary Payton, then a rookie and the number two pick in the1990 draft.[3][4][5] McMillan was known for his superb defense, leading the NBA in steals per game for the 1993–94 season and being named to theNBA All-Defensive Second Team for the 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons. McMillan was also known for his balanced play, which led to four careertriple-doubles.
In the 1995–96 season, McMillan helped the SuperSonics reach the NBA Finals against theMichael Jordan-ledChicago Bulls. The SuperSonics were the only team to beat the Bulls three times that season (once in the regular season and twice in the playoffs).[6]
Known as "Mr. Sonic" for his 19 years of service to the team, his number 10 jersey was retired by the SuperSonics.
After retiring in 1998, McMillan stayed in Seattle as an assistant underPaul Westphal. He held this role until 2000 when the Sonics fired Westphal and made McMillan interim coach. Although the team missed the playoffs during his first year, he earned a winning record of 38–29 as interim head coach. He was hired as head coach for the 2001–02 campaign and led the club to the playoffs.[7]
McMillan's Sonics had mediocre records the next two years, going 40–42 and 37–45. In the 2004–05 season, he led the team to 52–30 record in the regular season.[7] The team advanced to the Western Conference semifinals, where they lost to theSan Antonio Spurs.[8]
After spending 19 years in Seattle as a player and coach, McMillan left Seattle on July 6, 2005, to become the head coach of thePortland Trail Blazers.[9] He took over a team riddled withcap problems and off-the-court drama, but steadily calmed the waters in Portland. His hard-nosed coaching style earned him the nickname "Sarge."[6] On December 5, 2009, McMillan ruptured his rightAchilles tendon while scrimmaging with the Trail Blazers during practice.[10] He coached much of the season in a protective boot after surgery and led the team to 50 wins in spite of a historic number of injuries to his key players.[citation needed] McMillan coached the Blazers until March 15, 2012.[11]
On July 1, 2013, McMillan was hired by theIndiana Pacers as an assistant coach for the 2013–14 season.[12] He replacedBrian Shaw, who accepted the head coaching position with theDenver Nuggets.[13] In May 2016, after former head coachFrank Vogel's contract was not extended, McMillan was promoted to replace Vogel as the Pacers' coach.[14] In McMillan's first year as head coach, the team experienced turmoil surrounding the displeasure and eventual departure of All-StarPaul George, who was traded to theOklahoma City Thunder in June 2017. Despite this drama, the Pacers made the playoffs in all four of McMillan's seasons with the team, including three straight years without George. This was due largely to the emergence of the two players for whom he was traded,Victor Oladipo, who won the league's award for Most Improved Player in 2017 and was named to his first All-Star team in 2018, andDomantas Sabonis, who would also become an All-Star two years later in 2019. On August 12, 2020, Indiana announced that they had extended McMillan's contract. However, he was then fired a mere two weeks later, on August 26, 2020, after the Pacers were swept in the first round of the playoffs for the second year in a row, the fourth first round exit and third first round sweep in four playoff appearances under McMillan.[15]
On November 11, 2020, theAtlanta Hawks hired McMillan as an assistant coach underLloyd Pierce.[16] On March 1, 2021, McMillan was named interim head coach after the firing of Pierce.[17][18] Following McMillan's promotion, Atlanta promptly went on an eight-game winning streak, begun with a victory over the defending Eastern Conference championMiami Heat on March 2, 2021, and capped off by a win over the defending NBA championLos Angeles Lakers on March 20, 2021.[19] The Hawks finished the season 27–11 under McMillan's leadership,[20] ending a four-year playoff drought and earning the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta's success continued on into the playoffs. They beat the fourth-seededNew York Knicks in five games, and continued their improbable run by upsetting the top-seededPhiladelphia 76ers in a hard-fought seven-game series. With that series win, the Hawks made it to theEastern Conference finals, only the second time in 54 years they have advanced past the second round. There they faced the third-seededMilwaukee Bucks, led by two-time league MVPGiannis Antetokounmpo. McMillan led the Hawks to their first-ever win in the conference finals, defeating the Bucks 116–113 in game 1. The Hawks would lose the series in six games.[21]
On July 5, 2021, McMillan and the Hawks agreed in principle to drop the "interim" tag from his title and make him the franchise's 14th head coach since the team moved to Atlanta, with a four-year contract. General managerTravis Schlenk said that while the language of the contract was still being drawn up, "I'm excited he's going to be our head coach going forward."[22] The deal was formally announced on July 7, with Schlenk praising the "incredible job" McMillan had done after taking over the team in mid-season.[23]
On February 21, 2023, the Hawks fired McMillan after the team posted a 29–30 record going into the All-Star break.[24][25]
On August 5, 2024, McMillan joined theLos Angeles Lakers coaching staff as an assistant coach under head coachJJ Redick.[26]
McMillan was an assistant coach underMike Krzyzewski for theU.S. national team in the2006 FIBA World Championship and in the2008 Beijing Olympics, winning bronze and gold medals, respectively.[27] He is also a member of the National Junior College Basketball Hall of Fame, due to his All-American performance at Chowan.
McMillan again served as an assistant coach under Krzyzewski for the U.S. national team during the2012 Summer Olympics.[28]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led the league |
Source[5]
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986–87 | Seattle | 71 | 50 | 27.8 | .475 | .000 | .617 | 4.7 | 8.2 | 1.8 | .6 | 5.3 |
| 1987–88 | Seattle | 82 | 82* | 29.9 | .474 | .375 | .707 | 4.1 | 8.6 | 2.1 | .6 | 7.6 |
| 1988–89 | Seattle | 75 | 74 | 31.2 | .410 | .214 | .630 | 5.2 | 9.3 | 2.1 | .6 | 7.3 |
| 1989–90 | Seattle | 82* | 69 | 28.5 | .473 | .355 | .641 | 4.9 | 7.3 | 1.7 | .5 | 6.4 |
| 1990–91 | Seattle | 78 | 0 | 18.4 | .433 | .354 | .613 | 3.2 | 4.8 | 1.3 | .3 | 4.3 |
| 1991–92 | Seattle | 72 | 30 | 22.9 | .437 | .276 | .643 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 1.8 | .4 | 6.0 |
| 1992–93 | Seattle | 73 | 25 | 27.1 | .464 | .385 | .709 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 2.4 | .5 | 7.5 |
| 1993–94 | Seattle | 73 | 8 | 25.8 | .447 | .391 | .564 | 3.9 | 5.3 | 3.0* | .3 | 6.0 |
| 1994–95 | Seattle | 80 | 18 | 25.9 | .418 | .342 | .586 | 3.8 | 5.3 | 2.1 | .7 | 5.2 |
| 1995–96 | Seattle | 55 | 14 | 22.9 | .420 | .340 | .707 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 1.7 | .3 | 5.0 |
| 1996–97 | Seattle | 37 | 2 | 21.6 | .409 | .333 | .655 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 1.6 | .2 | 4.6 |
| 1997–98 | Seattle | 18 | 1 | 15.5 | .343 | .441 | 1.000 | 2.2 | 3.1 | .8 | .2 | 3.4 |
| Career | 796 | 373 | 25.7 | .443 | .343 | .650 | 4.0 | 6.1 | 1.9 | .5 | 5.9 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Seattle | 14 | 14 | 25.4 | .435 | – | .708 | 3.9 | 8.0 | 1.0 | .7 | 5.1 |
| 1988 | Seattle | 5 | 5 | 25.4 | .343 | .000 | .643 | 4.2 | 6.6 | .4 | .6 | 6.6 |
| 1989 | Seattle | 8 | 7 | 25.5 | .475 | .000 | .640 | 3.1 | 7.9 | 1.3 | .6 | 6.8 |
| 1991 | Seattle | 5 | 0 | 19.0 | .261 | .000 | .500 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 1.2 | .2 | 2.8 |
| 1992 | Seattle | 9 | 2 | 27.3 | .422 | .231 | .714 | 3.7 | 7.0 | 1.8 | .3 | 9.6 |
| 1993 | Seattle | 19 | 2 | 21.8 | .340 | .208 | .533 | 3.5 | 5.4 | 2.1 | .6 | 4.8 |
| 1994 | Seattle | 5 | 0 | 21.8 | .320 | .364 | .250 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 1.2 | .2 | 4.2 |
| 1995 | Seattle | 4 | 4 | 28.3 | .348 | .125 | 1.000 | 4.5 | 7.3 | 2.5 | .5 | 4.8 |
| 1996 | Seattle | 19 | 0 | 20.3 | .406 | .475 | .643 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 1.2 | .3 | 4.4 |
| 1997 | Seattle | 3 | 0 | 13.7 | .000 | .000 | – | 1.7 | 1.0 | .3 | .0 | .0 |
| 1998 | Seattle | 7 | 0 | 14.1 | .333 | .167 | 1.000 | 2.3 | 2.1 | .4 | .3 | 2.3 |
| Career | 98 | 34 | 22.3 | .381 | .289 | .632 | 3.5 | 5.2 | 1.3 | .4 | 5.0 | |
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 2000–01 | 67 | 38 | 29 | .567 | 5th inPacific | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Seattle | 2001–02 | 82 | 45 | 37 | .549 | 4th in Pacific | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost inFirst round |
| Seattle | 2002–03 | 82 | 40 | 42 | .488 | 5th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Seattle | 2003–04 | 82 | 37 | 45 | .451 | 5th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Seattle | 2004–05 | 82 | 52 | 30 | .634 | 1st inNorthwest | 11 | 6 | 5 | .545 | Lost inConference semifinals |
| Portland | 2005–06 | 82 | 21 | 61 | .256 | 5th in Northwest | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Portland | 2006–07 | 82 | 32 | 50 | .390 | 3rd in Northwest | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Portland | 2007–08 | 82 | 41 | 41 | .500 | 3rd in Northwest | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Portland | 2008–09 | 82 | 54 | 28 | .659 | 1st in Northwest | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost inFirst round |
| Portland | 2009–10 | 82 | 50 | 32 | .610 | 3rd in Northwest | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost inFirst round |
| Portland | 2010–11 | 82 | 48 | 34 | .585 | 3rd in Northwest | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost inFirst round |
| Portland | 2011–12 | 43 | 20 | 23 | .465 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Indiana | 2016–17 | 82 | 42 | 40 | .512 | 4th inCentral | 4 | 0 | 4 | .000 | Lost inFirst round |
| Indiana | 2017–18 | 82 | 48 | 34 | .585 | 2nd in Central | 7 | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost inFirst round |
| Indiana | 2018–19 | 82 | 48 | 34 | .585 | 2nd in Central | 4 | 0 | 4 | .000 | Lost inFirst round |
| Indiana | 2019–20 | 73 | 45 | 28 | .616 | 2nd in Central | 4 | 0 | 4 | .000 | Lost inFirst round |
| Atlanta | 2020–21 | 38 | 27 | 11 | .711 | 1st inSoutheast | 18 | 10 | 8 | .556 | Lost inConference finals |
| Atlanta | 2021–22 | 82 | 43 | 39 | .524 | 2nd inSoutheast | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | Lost inFirst round |
| Atlanta | 2022–23 | 59 | 29 | 30 | .492 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 1,428 | 760 | 668 | .534 | 76 | 28 | 48 | .368 | |||
His son Jamelle played as a guard for theArizona State Sun Devils[29] and was an assistant coach with theNew Orleans Pelicans from 2013 to 2020, and was later an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks.[30][31]
