Steve Mills (sports executive)

Last updated
Steve Mills
Personal information
Born (1959-10-06) October 6, 1959 (age 64)
Roosevelt, New York
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Career information
High school Friends Academy
(Locust Valley, New York)
College Princeton (1978–1981)
NBA draft 1981: undrafted
Playing career1981–1982
Position Guard

Steve Mills (born October 6, 1959) is an American sports executive who last served as president of the New York Knicks.

Contents

Education

Mills attended the Friends Academy in Locust Valley and Princeton University, where he graduated in 1981 with a B.A. in Sociology. [1]

Playing career

Mills played college basketball for the Princeton Tigers, where he was teammate of future NBA coach David Blatt, under the tutelage of coach Pete Carril from 1978 to 1981. [2] During his senior season, Mills averaged 12.0 points and 1.5 steals. After going undrafted in the 1981 NBA draft, he initially accepted a position as manager of new business development for Chemical Bank. After receiving an offer to play professionally in Ecuador, Chemical agreed to hold the position for Mills until he joined the bank in 1982. [3]

Executive career

Mills worked for the National Basketball Association for sixteen years beginning in 1984 after having worked at Chemical Bank. Mills ascension while at the NBA was notable. He was an account executive in the corporate sponsorship department of NBA properties and program manager for NBA properties. He became vice-president of special events, after which he was senior vice-president of Basketball and Player Development, [4] Mills then became Chief operating officer and Sports Business President of Madison Square Garden in 2003. [5] His duties at MSG included supervising day-to-day operations, including finances, business strategies of the NBA's New York Knicks, NHL's New York Rangers and the WNBA's New York Liberty. All sports related activities were under his jurisdiction, including boxing, college basketball and track & field.

In 2009, Mills left MSG and joined Magic Johnson Enterprises where he helped create the Athletes & Entertainers Wealth Management Group, LLC (A&E). [6] of which he was a partner. [7]

On September 26, 2013, the New York Knicks announced Mills would be the executive vice president and general manager of the organization. [8]

On July 14, 2017, after announcing that Scott Perry would become the Knicks' newest general manager, the Knicks also announced Mills would be the new president of the organization, replacing the role that was previously held by Phil Jackson. [9] On February 4, 2020, Mills parted ways with the Knicks. [10]

Memberships

Mills was on the Board of Trustees of USA Basketball and the Board of Trustees of the Basketball Hall of Fame. He currently is on the Board of Advisors for the Hospital for Special Surgery, Board of Directors of Harlem Junior Tennis, Board of Trustees of Ariel Investments and Board of Directors Princeton University Varsity Club. He also Co-Chairs the Princeton University Connect Initiative Task Force.

Achievements

Mills was named Black Enterprise 's Corporate Executive of the Year in 2003, [5] and was listed as one of the Top Front Office Team Executives on Black Enterprise's 50 Most Powerful Blacks in Sports in 2005. [11]

Personal life

Mills was born on October 6, 1959, in Roosevelt, New York. His father, Ollie Mills, was a teacher and a basketball coach. His mother was a social worker. He grew up as a Knicks fan and lived around the corner from NBA legend Julius Erving. Mills and his wife Beverly reside on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in addition to a home In South Orange, New Jersey, and have two daughters and a dog. [12]

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References

  1. ↑ "Stephen C. Mills '81". dev-edit.princeton.edu. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  2. ↑ Stefan BOndy (19 April 2018). "Pete Carril, godfather of Princeton basketball, talks David Blatt and Steve Mills reuniting in New York". New York Daily News . Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  3. ↑ Sonia Alleyne (October 2002). "Triple Sport Star: Steve Mills Scores for the Knicks, Rangers, and the Liberty". Black Enterprise. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  4. ↑ NBA Season Slipping, nydailynews.com. 11/18/98
  5. 1 2 Smith, LaToya M. Most Powerful African Americans in Sports Archived 2013-09-28 at the Wayback Machine , blackenterprise.com. 7/30/08
  6. ↑ Steve Mills Leaving MSG For Role With Magic Johnson Enterprises, sportsbusinessdaily.com. Issue 161 5/8/09
  7. ↑ Gati, Stephanie. "Reunions: Walters '67 moderates panel of former University athletes," The Daily Princetonian. 5/30/2011
  8. ↑ "Steve Mills replaces Glen Grunwald as Knicks general manager". Newsday. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  9. ↑ "Steve Mills named president, Scott Perry named general manager of New York Knicks". NBA.com. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  10. ↑ "New York Knicks Announce Steve Mills to Leave His Position". NBA.com. February 4, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  11. ↑ Hughes, Alan (1 March 2005). "Madison Square Garden Shuffles Management". Black Enterprise.
  12. ↑ "Steve Mills". theleagueonline.org. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
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