Nathaniel "Nate" McMillan (born August 3, 1964 in Raleigh, North Carolina) is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. Prior to his coaching stint with the Blazers, McMillan was head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics for five years, after succeeding Paul Westphal in 2000.
McMillan grew up in the heart of North Carolina's basketball country and attended Raleigh's Enloe High School, where he went unnoticed by major college scouts. After a brief but great basketball career at Chowan College in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, he returned to Raleigh to play for Jim Valvano at North Carolina State University, before being drafted by the Sonics with the final pick in the 1986 draft. He would spend his entire NBA career in Seattle.
During his 12-year playing career, McMillan put up career averages of 5.9 points, 6.1 assists and 1.9 steals. He still shares (with Ernie DiGregorio) the NBA rookie record for assists in a single game with 25. McMillan was known for his superb defense, leading the NBA in steals per game for the 1993-94 season and being named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons. McMillan was also known for his balanced play, which led to four career triple-doubles. Known as "Mr. Sonic" for his 19 years of service to the team, his #10 jersey was retired by the Sonics.
After retiring in 1998, McMillan stayed with the Seattle franchise, earning a place as an assistant coach. He held this role until 2000, when he was named interim coach of the Sonics. Although the team missed the playoffs during his first year as coach, he provided a major turnaround after the franchise got off to a miserable start that year, and he was hired as head coach for the next 2001-02 campaign. McMillan led the clubs to the playoffs in his second year before back-to-back mediocre seasons. In his final year as Sonics coach, McMillan led the team to a Northwest Division title 2005.
After 19 years with the Seattle organization, McMillan left Seattle on July 7, 2005 to become the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. He took over a team riddled with cap problems and off-the-court drama, but has steadily calmed the waters in Portland.
McMillan was an assistant coach under Mike Krzyzewski for the US national team in the 2006 FIBA World Championship, winning a bronze medal. He is also a member of the National Junior College Basketball Hall of Fame, due to his All-American performance at Chowan.
