NBA news: Spurs' Patty Mills wins NBPA Backbone Award

Veteran San Antonio Spurs point guard Patty Mills has won the NBPA Backbone award for being the heart and soul of his team.

San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills has won the NBPA Backbone award for being the heart and soul of his team.

Peep the Spurs' congratulatory post below via Twitter.

Congrats to @Patty_Mills, winner of the 2019 @TheNBPA Backbone Award! 👏

The award recognizes players who represent the heart and soul of their team. pic.twitter.com/QEmEwndvlQ

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) July 10, 2019

Mills has been one of the key pieces of the Spurs' relative success over the past years. In his eight years there, the 30-year-old Aussie has never missed the playoffs. This includes winning the title in 2014 over the powerhouse Miami Heat squad led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

After Tony Parker left for the Charlotte Hornets prior to the start of the 2018-2019 season, Mills became their longest-tenured player. In an interview earlier this year with Gregg Popovich, the legendary head coach commended Mills' leadership abilities and called him ‘one of the greatest teammates ever.' Per Kyle Irving of nba.com:

“He's one of the greatest teammates ever,” Popovich preached to NBA.com's McGregor.

“He's always ready to help out, to make people feel comfortable and he's just continued that,” Pop stated. “He's always ready to play the leadership role and helps us in every way that he can.”

Without a doubt, Mills deserves the award. The Spurs are known to be a world-class organization. They have a great front office and a legendary coach. They also have their heart and soul in Patty Mills.