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Patty Mills has long counted autograph sessions with young fans as one of his favorite things about being an NBA player.

“It’s on us as professional athletes to do things, do appearances, in the community,” the Spurs guard said.

The only drawback are time restrictions that prevent him from giving in-depth answers to youngsters seeking his advice.

“There’s a line and everyone really only gets 30 seconds to a minute with you,” Mills said. “You get a lot of people asking you for advice and it is hard to give it in that short of time.”

Looking for a better way to connect with young fans, he came up with the idea of writing a book about the lessons he learned growing up as an indigenous Australian.

The result: A three-book series published by Allen & Unwin, Australia’s leading independent book publisher, titled “Game Day!” The 120-page, illustrated chapter books are for children ages 6-9 and focus on Mills’ upbringing in Canberra, the different obstacles he overcame and the values he learned from his parents, other family members and coaches.

With the central character “Patty” speaking in first person, the pages sparkle with lively dialogue and the every day ups and downs of an indigenous child growing up in current day Australia.

“Ninety-percent of the books are true events and true facts,” said Mills, 29. “It’s about my upbringing from a very young age and what I learned.”

That Mills would tackle such a worthwhile project came as no surprise to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

“Patty is a wonderful human being,” Popovich said. “He has more interests than just basketball. He cares about people and really cares about kids, so he loves getting involved in that sort of thing and he’s done a good job.”

Manu Ginobili’s three sons will attest to that.

The Spurs guard and future Hall of Famer said he enjoys reading the books to his boys, who love that they include characters with the same first names as their dad and former Spurs players Boris Diaw and Tiago Splitter. They pal around with “Patty,” forming a multi-cultural group that mirrors the Spurs’ inclusiveness.

“We are having fun,” Ginobili said of his reading sessions with his sons. “There are some teaching moments. They seem to enjoy the books a lot. They are a great teaching tool.”

Personal touch

While some pro athletes’ attachment to literary projects begins and ends with just having their names attached to the books, Mills’ commitment to the endeavor runs as deep as the waters surrounding his homeland.

With cherished memories of his parents — father Benny, a Torres Strait Islander, and mother Yvonne, an Aboriginal Australian — reading Islander and Aboriginal stories to him as a child, Mills found great joy in crafting the tales in his books to make sure they were true to his upbringing.

“I absolutely loved doing it,” he said.

Allen & Unwin teamed Mills with indigenous writer and lecturer Jared Thomas, who has a doctorate in English and creative writing. Thomas specializes in exploring the power of belonging and culture.

It didn’t take Thomas long to learn Mills was going to be an active partner in writing the books.

“My time is really valuable and I didn’t want to work with someone who wasn’t invested,” Thomas said. “Patty has integrity.”

Mills’ close friend Matthew Dellavedova, a fellow Aussie and Olympic teammate and a guard for the Milwaukee Bucks, has known that for a long time.

“That’s who Patty is,” Dellavedova said. “He’s not going to do anything half-hearted. He does a lot in Australia for everybody, but especially indigenous people. He’s a real leader on and off the floor.”

The Allen & Unwin editor who worked on the books said Mills took control of the project from the start.

“He was very clear and passionate about what he wanted the books to show,” Kate Whitfield said. “He has very strong feelings about being a role model and setting an example for children. He also wanted to pay homage to his parents for all the support and lessons they gave him.”

It took 18 months to write the books. The creative process began late in the 2015-16 season and ended this year. Communicating mainly via Skype, Mills and Thomas spent hours talking about indigenous culture, family and the links between achievement in sports and academics.

“In 2016, Patty had a lot going on during the playoffs and the Olympics, but we worked pretty intensely,” Thomas said. “Whenever I needed to talk to him, he was available. He would tell me the stories and significant events in his life and I would write drafts and send them to him.”

The two overcame many logistical challenges to complete the project.

“It wasn’t the ideal situation with me being in the states and Jared being back in Australia, but we managed to do it long distance over the phone,” Mills said.

Throughout the books, Mills’ pride in indigenous and Aboriginal culture, as well as Australia, shines through. “One of the great things about this series is you get a real insight into the vibrancy of the indigenous culture and the beauty of Australia,” Thomas said.

Life lessons

The second installment of the series, “Game Day!: Patty and the Shadows” details how Mills handled bullying and racism.

The back cover of the book includes this overview:

“Tyson is Patty’s arch-rival. And when he gives Patty a hard time about his people, it really hurts. But it makes Patty more determined than ever. Playing for the Shadows, Patty and his friends have a chance to shine — and show that Indigenous kids can do anything. After a huge improvement, they make the grand final. And the results will come down to the final seconds of the game.”

Mills hopes reading the book will help children understand there are peaceful ways to deal with bullying and racism.

“The series touches on race and the other different obstacles and adversities I faced and the right way to handle them without turning to violence,” he said.

Another theme: The value of not quitting, whether it be in sports or academics, after suffering initial setbacks.

“There are stories about not being good at something but sticking with it, working hard and making sacrifices to achieve your dreams and goals,” Mills said.

Here’s a bit of advice Patty’s “Mum” offers him when her son becomes discouraged while learning to play basketball.

“You have to have the confidence to push through the early stages, while you’re learning. Don’t expect to set the court on fire straight away! But if you keep trying, you’ll get there. Just like you have with your other sports. Just like with your Torres Strait dancing.”

Said Thomas, “Facing and overcoming adversity, perseverance, all of that really is Patty’s story.”

It was also important to Mills that the books include some strong female characters. In addition to Mills’ wise and loving “Mum,” the book also features Patty’s best friend and teammate, Josie.

Here’s how Patty describes Josie in the book “Game Day!: Patty hits the Court”:

“Josie is one of the best sportspeople I know. She’s a whiz at netball and a really good footballer. She’s tall, fast, strong, and bumps and tackles just as hard as the boys. I’m also lucky Josie is my best friend. Her parents moved to Canberra from the Torres Strait Islands at the same time as my family. She has always called me ‘bala’ — brother — and cheers me up whenever I’m down. She never gives up and never lets me give up either.”

Said Thomas, “She is a really talented young athletes who is wise and gives Patty encouragement. It’s a great example of the value of friendship.”

Visual appeal

The books also feature vibrant illustrations created by Australian artist Nahum Ziersch.

“As soon as I got the email asking me to be a part of it, it was, ‘Yes, sign me up. I’ve got to do this,’” Ziersch said. “I was very excited because Patty has been a basketball hero of mine. I love Patty Mills and his game and everything that goes with it.”

Ziersch said his goal was to keep the art “fun and lighthearted,” hoping it would be “easy for kids to look at and get into it.” He also wanted the art to bring out Mills’ love of the game and the enthusiasm he exhibits on the court.

“It was a pretty awesome experience,” Ziersch said.

The artist said he took greatest pride in his illustrations for the cover and his drawings of Josie.

“I really wanted to grab the kids’ attention with the covers,” Ziersch said. “I wanted them to be bright, colorful and engaging. I really loved designing the title and logo for the books because it gave me a chance to really bring in Patty’s Torres Strait and Aboriginal heritage into the style and feel of the overall design.”

In his drawings of Josie, Ziersch tried to illustrate her confidence and positive nature.

“It was important to show the female character was strong and wise, often giving Patty advice along the way,” Ziersch said.

Popular at home

The “Game Day!” series was an immediate hit in Australia.

“The feedback and reviews have been great,” Thomas said. “Some journalists in their 60s told me they even shed a tear while reading them.”

Thomas, like Ginobili, is putting the books to good use in his home.

“My six-year-old daughter wants me to read them to her over and over,” said Thomas, who, thanks to Mills’ influence, has started to play basketball recreationally.

Mills returned home to Australia this summer to help promote the books.

“I attended one of the big shopping center events when the book was launched and there was a queue all the way down the aisle,” said Whitfield, the Allen & Unwin editor who worked on “Game Day!” “Patty was so thrilled to meet his fans, and he was amazing with the kids. You could see how thrilled they were.

“The feedback on the books have been fabulous and really gratifying. We were very happy to work with Patty and Jerod, and the illustrations just really brought the stories to life. We would love to do more with Patty.”

The “Game Day!” series is just another reason why Mills easily ranks at the top of the list of Australia’s most beloved athletes, Dellavedova said.

“It’s not just what you do on the court or on the field or whatever it is that is important to Australians,” Dellavedova said. “It’s being a good person, staying down to earth and true to who you are, which Patty definitely is.”

The next challenge for Mills and Thomas is to find an American publisher. The books can currently be purchased in the United States through bookdepository.com.

Literacy experts in San Antonio believe the books would be a great way for parents to get their children interested in reading.

“When we meet with children, we ask them to select books that are interesting to them,” said Deborah Valdez, executive director of San Antonio Youth Literacy. “Kids in our community are going to have a higher interest in the Spurs and these books will certainly perk their interest in reading. It’s also important for children in our community to have minorities and people they can relate to as role models.”

And, she added, Mills’ “cuddly, approachable” demeanor makes him popular among children.

Trinity University education professor Rocio Delgado, who has a doctorate in multicultural special education from the University of Texas in Austin, said the “Game Day!” series would be a welcome addition in a state needing more books with diverse role models.

“Our population is becoming increasingly diverse, but we don’t necessarily see that diversity reflected in the books for the curriculum we are using,” Delgado said. “These books will expose students to different perspectives and life experiences. And although it’s about a different culture, there will still be commonalities and things children can relate to.”

Mills said he hopes to someday read the “Game Day!” series to his own children. “Writing the books is a good step for preparing for that world, not that it is coming soon. It took a lot of time and thought to get these messages and values across on paper, but it was worth it.”

torsborn@express-news.net

Twitter: @tom_orsborn