With his wispy shock of white hair and the glum demeanor of a meter reader, Carril was particularly effective at smothering his players’ egos. The occasional compliment (“good pass”) was always followed by a not-so-subtle critique (“terrible defense”). Just as important, Carril recruited players who fit his framework, Mills said. For example, Carril coveted big men who were effective passers. It was not a skill that could easily be taught, so he sought the right personnel.

“It took a certain type of player to play for him,” Mills said.

It was a formative experience for Mills, who said he had absorbed important lessons from Carril — how to build teams, how to manage. Mills said he had also developed lasting relationships. He still considers many of his former teammates to be among his closest friends, including John W. Rogers Jr., who founded Ariel Investments, which is based in Chicago; Randy Melville, an executive at Frito-Lay; David Blatt, the basketball coach at Maccabi Tel Aviv; and Robinson, President Obama’s brother-in-law.

“At the time we thought it was just unbelievable how hard Coach Carril was on us,” Robinson said. “But I really believe it prepared all of us to be winners. You go in kicking and screaming before you give yourself over to someone who’s been there, done that. We won games we had no business winning.”

In 1983, after briefly playing overseas, Mills interviewed for a low-level position at the N.B.A. One of the first people he met was Stern, who hired Mills as an account executive. It was a fairly thankless job that entailed watching tape-delayed broadcasts of games, tracking advertisements and cold-calling companies to pitch sponsorships.

Mills eventually took on larger responsibilities. He managed international events. He worked as the N.B.A.’s liaison to the N.C.A.A. He helped negotiate a series of collective bargaining agreements between the league and the players union. He also had a role in the creation of the W.N.B.A.

“He was an important part of our team,” Stern said in a telephone interview. “He always got on very well with owners, players, colleagues. He had a very nice way about him, of getting people to do their jobs with a deft touch.”

In 1999, Mills moved to the Garden, where he oversaw basketball operations for the Knicks before becoming president of Madison Square Garden Sports. His time with the organization was tarnished by one serious misstep: his recommendation that Dolan hire Thomas as team president in December 2003.