Paul Millsap facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Paul Millsap

Millsap with the Atlanta Hawks in 2013
Personal information
Born	(1985-02-10) February 10, 1985 (age 40) Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.
High school	Grambling (Grambling, Louisiana)
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	257 lb (117 kg)
Career information
College	Louisiana Tech (2003–2006)
NBA Draft	2006 / Round: 2 / Pick: 47th overall
Selected by the Utah Jazz
Pro career	2006–2022
Career history
2006–2013	Utah Jazz
2013–2017	Atlanta Hawks
2017–2021	Denver Nuggets
2021–2022	Brooklyn Nets
2022	Philadelphia 76ers
Career highlights and awards
4× NBA All-Star (2014–2017) NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2016) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2007) 3× NCAA rebounding leader (2004–2006) 2× First-team All-WAC (2005, 2006) Second-team All-WAC (2004) WAC Rookie of the Year (2004) Fourth-team Parade All-American (2003) Louisiana Mr. Basketball (2003)
Career NBA statistics
Points	14,536 (13.4 ppg)
Rebounds	7,673 (7.1 rpg)
Assists	2,378 (2.2 apg)

Paul Millsap, born on February 10, 1985, is an American former professional basketball player. He played for 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Paul was a power forward who played college basketball at Louisiana Tech University. The Utah Jazz picked him in the second round of the 2006 NBA draft. He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

Millsap played for the Jazz until 2013. After that, he joined the Atlanta Hawks. He also played for the Denver Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers. Paul Millsap was chosen as an NBA All-Star four times during his career.

Early Basketball Days

Paul Millsap went to Grambling High School in Grambling, Louisiana. He played for the Grambling Kittens high school basketball team. In 2003, he was named "Mr. Basketball" for Louisiana. He was also ranked as one of the top high school players in the country.

College Basketball Career

Paul Millsap played three years at Louisiana Tech. He averaged 18.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. He made history by being the only player to lead NCAA Division I in rebounds for three years in a row. This happened during his freshman, sophomore, and junior years.

As a freshman, Millsap was named the WAC Rookie of the Year. He was also a second-team All-WAC player. In his sophomore and junior years, he was a first-team All-WAC player. After his junior year in 2006, Millsap decided to enter the 2006 NBA draft.

Professional Basketball Journey

Utah Jazz (2006–2013)

The Utah Jazz picked Paul Millsap as the 47th player in the 2006 NBA draft. He signed his first contract with the Jazz in August 2006. Some sports writers thought he might even win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. This award usually goes to players picked much earlier in the draft.

Millsap had a great first season. He led all rookies with six "double-doubles" (scoring double digits in two different stats, like points and rebounds). He averaged about 7 points, 5 rebounds, almost one steal, and one block per game. He played in all 82 games for the Jazz. As a strong player coming off the bench, he helped the Jazz reach the Conference Finals. They lost to the San Antonio Spurs, who later won the NBA championship.

In the 2007–08 season, Millsap scored a new career high of 24 points. He later increased this to 28 points. In December 2008, he scored 32 points against the Boston Celtics. Millsap had played in 194 games in a row since joining the Jazz. He missed his first game on December 26, 2008, because of a knee injury.

During the 2008–09 season, Millsap became a starter when Carlos Boozer was injured. Millsap's performance improved a lot. He averaged 15.9 points and 10.3 rebounds when he started games.

In July 2009, the Portland Trail Blazers offered Millsap a four-year contract. The Jazz had the right to match this offer, and they did. This meant Millsap stayed with the Jazz.

Millsap became the permanent starting power forward for Utah in the 2010–11 season. This happened after Boozer left to join the Chicago Bulls. On November 9, 2010, Millsap scored a career-high 46 points. This was in an overtime win against the Miami Heat. He scored 11 points in just 28 seconds at the end of the game. This included three three-pointers, which was more than he had made in his whole career before that game! He also made a shot at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.

Atlanta Hawks (2013–2017)

On July 10, 2013, after seven years with the Jazz, Millsap signed a two-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks. On January 30, 2014, coaches voted Millsap to be an All-Star for the Eastern Conference team. On March 18, 2014, Millsap achieved his first "triple-double." This means he had double digits in three stats: 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. This helped the Hawks win in overtime against the Toronto Raptors.

Millsap in 2017

On January 29, 2015, Millsap was chosen as an All-Star for the second year in a row. The Hawks had four players selected as All-Stars that year. He helped the Hawks finish the 2014–15 season with a great record of 60 wins and 22 losses. This was the team's best record since 1993–94. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals but lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

On July 9, 2015, Millsap signed a new three-year contract with the Hawks. On January 16, 2016, he scored 21 points against the Brooklyn Nets. This made him pass 10,000 career points. On January 28, he was named an All-Star for the third time. On April 9, 2016, he had a season-high 31 points and 16 rebounds in a win over the Boston Celtics. The Hawks finished the regular season as the fourth best team in the Eastern Conference. In the playoffs, Millsap scored 45 points in a game against the Boston Celtics. This was his highest score ever in a playoff game. The Hawks won that series but then lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In the Hawks' first game of the 2016–17 season, Millsap scored 28 points. On December 19, 2016, he scored a season-high 30 points. He made the winning shot with 12.7 seconds left to help the Hawks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder. On January 1, 2017, he set a new season high with 32 points and 13 rebounds. This helped the Hawks beat the San Antonio Spurs in overtime. On January 26, he was named an All-Star for the fourth year in a row. Three days later, he had a season-high 37 points and 19 rebounds. He also had seven assists in a four-overtime win against the New York Knicks.

Denver Nuggets (2017–2021)

On July 13, 2017, Millsap signed a three-year contract with the Denver Nuggets. In his first game for the Nuggets on October 18, 2017, Millsap scored 19 points. This was against his old team, the Utah Jazz. On November 21, 2017, he injured his left wrist and was out for a while. He had surgery and returned to play on February 27, 2018. On March 30, 2018, he scored a season-high 36 points. This helped the Nuggets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in overtime.

On December 3, 2018, Millsap was named the Western Conference Player of the Week. This was his third time winning this award. A few days later, he broke a toe in his right foot and missed eight games. On February 13, 2019, he scored 25 points against the Sacramento Kings. On March 14, he set a new season high with 33 points in a win over the Dallas Mavericks. Millsap continued to be a starter for the Nuggets in the 2019–20 season.

During the 2020 NBA playoffs, which took place in a special "bubble" due to the pandemic, players could choose a statement for their jersey. Millsap chose "Vote." Because his jersey number was 4, it looked like "Vote 4 Millsap," which became popular online. Even though his performance was a bit lower in the playoffs, he kept his starting spot. With the Nuggets, he reached the Conference Finals for the third time in his career. They lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, who went on to win the NBA championship.

Millsap with the Nuggets in 2020

On December 3, 2020, Millsap signed another one-year deal with the Nuggets.

Brooklyn Nets (2021–2022)

On September 10, 2021, Millsap signed with the Brooklyn Nets.

Philadelphia 76ers (2022)

On February 10, 2022, Millsap was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. This trade involved several players, including James Harden and Ben Simmons.

Millsap played in 9 of the remaining 28 regular season games for the 76ers. He averaged 3.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

Paul Millsap's last NBA game was on May 2, 2022. It was Game 1 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals. He played for about five minutes and had 1 rebound and 1 assist. The 76ers lost to the Miami Heat.

Retirement

Paul Millsap did not play in the 2022–23 or 2023–24 NBA seasons. He officially announced his retirement from the league on December 3, 2024. He retired as one of only eight players in NBA history to have made 500 three-pointers, 1,000 blocks, and 1,000 steals.

Family Life

Paul Millsap's brother, Elijah Millsap, also played professional basketball for the Utah Jazz. His oldest brother, John, played college basketball for the UTSA Roadrunners.

Awards and Achievements

• Louisiana Mr. Basketball: 2003
• NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 2007
• Louisiana Tech University Athletic Hall of Fame: 2011
• NBA All-Star: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: Paul Millsap para niños