Personal information | |
---|---|
Born |
Los Angeles, California |
January 25, 1970
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Fairfax (Los Angeles, California) |
College | |
NBA draft | 1993 / Round: 1 / Pick: 22nd overall |
Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers | |
Playing career | 1993–2003 |
Position | Small forward |
Number | 24, 42, 34 |
Career history | |
1993–1997 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
1997–1998 | New York Knicks |
1998–2003 | Golden State Warriors |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Career NBA statistics | |
Points | 6,357 (11.2 ppg) |
Rebounds | 2,808 (4.9 rpg) |
Assists | 1,063 (1.9 apg) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Christopher Lemonte Mills (born January 25, 1970) is a retired American professional basketball player who played ten seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Chris Mills attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, from 1986 to 1988. At 6 ft 7 in, he was the starting center for each of his three years playing varsity football there. In 1987 and 1988, he was awarded the City 4-A Player of the Year Award, as well as Mr. football for the state of California. He was a 1988 McDonalds All-American.El Camino Real High School basketball coach, Mike McNulty said of Chris Mills, "He's one of the three best players ever to come out of Los Angeles—he's gotta be right there with John Williams and Marques Johnson." Taft High School basketball coach, Jim Woodard, echoed these sentiments when he said, "I've been watching city basketball for 33 years. Mills is the best I've ever seen. He can do it all."
Mills graduated from University of Arizona, having transferred there from the University of Kentucky after the 1988–89 season, after being the center of a major scandal involving receiving improper payments, allegedly from a UK booster. The scandal broke when an Emery Worldwide package addressed to Mills' father popped open and several large-denomination bills spilled out.
He was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the 22nd overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft, and played four seasons for the Cavs. Mills then played for the New York Knicks for the 1997–98 season and then the Golden State Warriors for five seasons. He was listed as a member of the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks but never actually played a game for any of them. He was a solid defender on the wing and a decent shooter. Mills also had several problems with his health in his late career and was not a stellar athlete, ultimately being a solid back-up off the bench.