North Carolina State University Athletics
Behind The Scenes With Tony Haynes: Nate The Great
1/14/2002 12:00:00 AM | Pack Athletics
Jan. 14, 2002
By Tony Haynes
As a kid growing up in Raleigh, Nate McMillan remembers watching David Thompson soar to new heights during NC State's run to college basketball's national title in 1974. It was during his childhood that the lanky kid decided that he to would one-day play in the ACC, perhaps even for NC State.
That's all he wanted. It never occurred to him that he would spend 12 successful years in the NBA with the same team. And certainly he couldn't have dreamed of one day becoming that team's head coach. But sometimes dreams do come true. Not only did Nate McMillan get a chance to play for David's team-NC State-he also went on to gain both fame and fortune with the NBA's Seattle Supersonics.
But on Sunday night, the first year head coach of the Sonics returned to his hometown and home school. The occasion was one of celebration as McMillan had his old jersey number 10 honored at halftime of the Duke-NC State basketball game at the ESA.
"I thought it was great," McMillan said just one day after flying all the way across the country for Sunday night's game. "My childhood dream was to play ACC basketball. I grew up right here in Raleigh and we didn't have a professional team at the time. All we dreamed about was playing in the ACC, it wasn't the NBA. My dream came true when coach Valvano offered me a scholarship here. Now that they're honoring me, words can't express the way that I feel about that. It just shows that people were appreciative of my two years here at NC State."
After spending two seasons at Chowan Junior College, McMillan made the most of his two-year stint with Valvano and the Wolfpack during the 1985-86 seasons. He finished his career sixth on the school's all-time assist list with 402. And his 149 steals, including the 90 thefts he had as a senior, rank ninth all-time.
Standing 6-5, McMillan was unusually tall for point guards of his day. Long, lean and quick, McMillan used his defensive prowess and playmaking abilities to carve out a fine pro career with the Sonics, becoming that team's all-time leader in steals (1,675) and assists (5,398). Long before his playing career ended a few years ago, McMillan had already established himself as one of the most popular players in franchise history.
"Seattle has treated me very well," he said. "The fans and the organization have greeted me with open arms and they have given me the opportunity to be the head coach out there. I'm looking forward to the four years that I've signed with those guys, trying to rebuild that organization and making them a contender again."
And while Seattle is where Nate McMillan works, it's not where he lives. Raleigh is still home. It's the place where Mom still lives. It's also where McMillan brings his family for the relatively short NBA off-season.
Things have changed since Nate McMillan played at NC State. His old coach is now gone and Reynolds Coliseum only serves as a practice floor for the Pack. The sparkling Entertainment and Sports Arena is very similar to many of the venues in which McMillan now coaches.
"Reynolds was a place that I really enjoyed playing in," said McMillan, who helped lead NC State to the Final Eight in the 1986 NCAA Tournament. "I had an opportunity to see David Thompson and Kenny Carr play there so that was the building where I grew up watching NC State basketball. It was a place that we made difficult for teams to come in and win."
It's also a place where dreams come true. Just ask Nate McMillan.
