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Oklahoma City Thunder: 25 Best Players To Play For The Thunder

By Phil Watson

May 28, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; General view of t-shirts lining the seats before the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors in game six of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
May 28, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; General view of t-shirts lining the seats before the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors in game six of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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MILWAUKEE - 1988: Nate McMillan #10 of the Seattle Supersonics looks to pass while defended by Jay Humphries #24 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1988-1989 NBA season game at The Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE – 1988: Nate McMillan #10 of the Seattle Supersonics looks to pass while defended by Jay Humphries #24 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1988-1989 NBA season game at The Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

1986-98. Nate McMillan. 25. player. 149. Second-round pick (30th overall) from North Carolina State, 1986 NBA Draft.. PG-SG

Nate McMillan was an unlikely candidate for a long NBA career, a defense-first guard who transferred to North Carolina State from a JUCO and averaged 9.4 points and 6.9 assists per game as a senior.

The Seattle SuperSonics took McMillan in the second round, 30th overall, in the 1986 NBA Draft and never regretted the gamble.

OKC_25_MCMILLAN
OKC_25_MCMILLAN /

McMillan spent his entire career in Seattle, earning All-Defensive honors twice and leading the NBA in steals in 1993-94.

He was fourth in steals in 1992-93 and fifth in 1994-95 and placed fifth in the NBA in assists in 1988-89.

When the Sonics reached the 1996 NBA Finals, McMillan was late in his career and had been hampered by a back injury for much of the season.

In the six-game loss to the Chicago Bulls, McMillan played in four games, averaging 2.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game on 3-for-7/3-for-5/2-for-2 shooting.

He retired after the 1997-98 season.

In 12 seasons in Seattle, McMillan averaged 5.9 points, 6.1 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 25.7 minutes per game, shooting .443/.343/.650.

He remained in the NBA as a coach, working parts of two seasons as an assistant for the Sonics before being named to replace Paul Westphal as head coach 15 games into the 2000-01 season.

McMillan was 212-183 in parts of five seasons in Seattle, going 8-8 in the postseason, before moving on to the Portland Trail Blazers after the 2004-05 season.

He spent parts of seven seasons with the Blazers, posting a 266-269 regular-season record and going 6-12 in the playoffs. He was fired midway through the 2011-12 season.

After spending the last three seasons as an assistant for the Indiana Pacers, McMillan was named head coach of the club on May 16, 2016.

He is 36th in NBA history with 1,544 steals, 49th with an average of 6.1 assists per game and 16th with an average of 1.9 steals per game.

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