Mills had three flags added to the shoe design. The Canberra star has opted to stay out of the "change the date" debate, taking a different approach in the hope of educating others about an important issue. Mills' left shoe had "invasion" on the outer, his right had "survival" and the inner sides had the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait flags. "These shoes have been designed to educate people on Australia's history and its current status," Mills said. "The base colour of the shoes represent the dusty red-soil plains of the land.

"The left shoe displays the word ‘INVASION’ to describe the European Settlement and the genocide of Indigenous people that occurred on January 26, 1788. This was the year the British began to colonise the continent. Patty Mills wore specially-designed shoes in the NBA on Thursday. "The right shoe displays the word ‘SURVIVAL’ to describe the current status of Indigenous people, land and culture in Australia. This also illustrates the date, January 26, 2019. "Today The majority of people in the country celebrate January 26 as ‘Australia Day’, the official national day of Australia. "A country that was once populated by 100% Indigenous people is now, 231 years later, 3%.

"Lastly, the shoes incorporate the three National flags of Australia (Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait) appearing through the dusty red-soil plains. "A sign of hope that our future is brighter than our past by remembering & honouring all of those who have sacrificed for us. Because today, we are one." Patty Mills scored 17 points against the 76ers. Credit:DJ Rush His shoes sum up the ongoing debate in Australia about shifting the date to celebrate Australia Day given the history it represents for indigenous people. Mills is a passionate campaigner for equality in Australia. He was a vocal supporter of the Illawarra Hawks wearing the first indigenous jersey in NBL history last month and called on league officials to do more to celebrate the indigenous culture.

He has become a leader in the Spurs set up and spoke before a game earlier this week about the impact of Martin Luther King Junior after the team visited the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. "As a member of the Spurs organisation, we are honoured and proud to celebrate the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in hopes that we can continue to educate about the past and we can all move forward together as one, Mills said. Mills has proudly spoken about his family history and culture since moving to the United States to pursue his goals and had an Australian and Torres Strait Island flag draped over his shoulders when the Spurs won the NBA title five years ago. "I believe we've got to be able to make some noise to create change," Mills told reporters in San Antonio.