Christopher Lemonte Mills (born January 25, 1970) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player who played ten seasons in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA).

High school

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 basketball there. In 1987 and 1988, he was awarded the City 4-A Player of the Year Award, as well as Mr. Basketball for the state of California. He was a 1988 McDonald's All-American in basketball.

El Camino Real High School El Camino Real Charter High School (also known locally as "ECR" or "Elco") is an independent charter secondary school located in the Woodland Hills district of the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. ...

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 John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...

and

Marques Johnson Marques Kevin Johnson (born February 8, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player who is a basketball analyst for the Milwaukee Bucks on Bally Sports Wisconsin. He played as a small forward in the National Basketball Associati ...

Taft High School Taft School or Taft High School may refer to: * Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, founded by Horace Dutton Taft, William Howard Taft's brother Schools named after William Howard Taft: * William Howard Taft High School (Los Angeles) * William ...

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."

College

Mills graduated from

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

, having been kicked off the team at the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...

by the NCAA after the 1988–89 season. He was the center of a scandal involving receiving improper payments, allegedly from a UK

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. The scandal broke when a package addressed to Mills' father, Claud Mills, popped open while being sorted at

Emery Worldwide Emery Worldwide Airlines was a cargo airline, once one of the leading carriers in the cargo airline world. Its headquarters were located in Redwood City, California. History Emery started in 1946 and was the first freight forwarder to receive a ...

, whose employees later testified that it contained a video cassette and fifty $20 bills. Claud Mills claims the package did not contain any cash when it was delivered.

Professional career

He was selected by the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

as the 22nd overall pick in the

1993 NBA Draft The 1993 NBA draft took place on June 30, 1993, at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The draft had some talented players at the top, but injuries and personal problems hurt many of them. Chris Webber, Penny Hardaway, Allan Ho ...

, for whom he played four seasons (1993-94 through 1997-98). Mills then played for the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

for the 1997–98 season. He played the next five seasons (1998-99 through 2002-03) for the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

. In 1999, in a game against the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...

, after a jump ball, Mills attempted to make a basket, but on the wrong side of the court. Amazingly, his shot was blocked by opposing player

Samaki Walker Samaki Ijuma Walker (born February 25, 1976) is an American retired professional basketball power forward and center. Walker played college basketball at the University of Louisville and was drafted in 1996 by the Dallas Mavericks, where he playe ...

Outside basketball

Mills recorded a rap single entitled "Sumptin' to Groove To," along with several NBA players such as

Jason Kidd Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded as one of the greatest point guards ...

Cedric Ceballos Cedric Z. Ceballos (born August 2, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player. As a small forward, he played mostly for the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers, later finishing his National Basketball Association (NBA) career ...

and

J.R. Rider Isaiah Rider Jr., nicknamed J.R. (born March 12, 1971), is an American former professional basketball player who played 9 seasons in the NBA. Rider was born in Oakland, California, and was raised in nearby Alameda, California, Alameda. He starred ...

on the album

B-Ball's Best Kept Secret ''B-Ball's Best Kept Secret'' is a compilation album released by Epic Records that featured NBA players performing songs with hip hop artists including Shaquille O'Neal. Track listing #"Hip Hop Basketball Genie"- :48 #"Check It"- 4:07 (Dana B ...

released in 1994. He is also a member of

Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved int ...

fraternity.Alpha chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc
He also had a role in the 1994 movie Blue Chips along with several other professional athletes and coaches. As well as a role in the 1998 movie Da Game of Life, as a basketball player named Scooter.

References

External links

NBA.com profileESPN.com profileLA Times story on Mills from 1988
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mills, Chris 1970 births Living people All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Arizona Wildcats men's basketball players Basketball players from Los Angeles Cleveland Cavaliers draft picks Cleveland Cavaliers players Fairfax High School (Los Angeles) alumni Golden State Warriors players Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players McDonald's High School All-Americans New York Knicks players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Small forwards