BASKETBALL
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
STEPH Curry, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Orange’s Eliza Mills, playing on the same court.
It’s not a sentence you’d normally expect to read, nor is Mills’ name one you’d expect to be associated with the NBA’s absolute elite, but that’s exactly what will happen this weekend in Toronto, Canada.
The Orange-based phenom won’t actually play alongside the current crop of NBA superstars, but she will line up on court at Air Canada Centre as a pre-cursor to their match at the NBA All-Stars Weekend, which kicks off on Friday (AEDT).
Mills will play alongside some of the NBA and WNBA’s past legends in the 2016 NBA Cares Special Olympics Unified Sports match-up, a game designed to bring together athletes with and without an intellectual disability by giving them the chance to compete together at one of the world’s premier sporting events.
Mills was selected after huge success as part of Australia’s Special Olympics basketball side and was named last month alongside 11 other athletes with a disability from all over the world.
She’s Australia’s only representative.
Not only will show her wares on court, Mills is expected to take part in a number of other events during the weekend and will be afforded the chance to watch Curry and co set Air Canada Centre alight from virtually courtside seats.
“I feel so overwhelmed and honoured to have been given this once in a lifetime opportunity,” Mills enthused.
“I can’t wait to share the court with NBA legends.”
It’s no surprise her past exploits earned her selection considering Mills has represented Australia at three separate Special Olympics World Summer Games - Shanghai in 2007, Athens in 2011 and Los Angeles in 2015 - despite being only 23.
She and her Australian teammates managed to bring home gold medals from all three as well, winning two of those medals alongside twin sister Bernadette.