NATE MCMILLAN - Moving Forward and Giving Back

Born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, by a single mother and with five siblings, Nate McMillan is a true success story. This Enloe Eagle graduate went on to play basketball at Chowan Junior College and then transferred to North Carolina State University, where he played for the Wolfpack during his Junior and Senior years.

Hard work took Nate to the Pros, where he was drafted in 1986 to play with the Seattle Supersonics. After 12 years, Nate retired as a player in 1998. He stayed on with the Team as an assistant coach and then became the Head Coach in 2000. His coaching career spans over 25 years and includes coaching for the Portland Trailblazers, Indiana Pacers, and Atlanta Hawks.

Not only has he made significant moves on the basketball court, but he is also making major moves in the lives of fatherless black boys. In 2023, Nate officially launched the Nate McMillan Foundation with Ms. Wanda Thomas as his Executive Director. The Foundation’s mission is “to empower young men who have experienced fatherlessness by providing mentorship programs that equip them with tools, values, and the mindset to lead positive lives of purpose and impact.” Nate is no stranger to this cause as he grew up never knowing his father. Even though his father was not in the home, he found a father figure in his older brother, Randy, whose determination to make a better life for himself inspired Nate to do the same thing.

It has always been Nate’s dream to give back and provide opportunities and life-changing experiences for young boys, experiences that he never had, and he is doing that with the Nate McMillan Mentoring Camp. It is at this camp where the vision of the Foundation, “Dream! Commit! Do!” comes to life. The first camp was held in March 2024, where 50 boys participated in an overnight stay for 4 days and 3 nights at New Life Camp in North Raleigh and had the experience of a lifetime! From outdoor activities to classes in financial literacy, AI & social media, and Etiquette, the boys learned a lot and were equipped with practical life lessons. The seeds that were planted in their lives are yet to come up, and many transformations are still taking place. Another camp is scheduled for August 21-24, and applications are now being accepted with limited space available.

It is said that the “reward for good work is more work.” After settling into “retirement,” Nate was recently called back into coaching, having been named the Associate Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Although this move will now take him to Los Angeles, he won’t be leaving the Foundation, and the work in Raleigh will not suffer. The day-to-day operations will continue in the more than capable hands of Ms. Wanda Thomas, the Executive Director, whom Nate often says, “Without Wanda’s help and expertise, I wouldn’t want to do this.”

From humble beginnings to success on and off the court, Nate McMillan and the Nate McMillan Foundation are not just making a difference, they are changing the trajectory of the lives of our young, black, fatherless boys. Your support can help us continue this important work.

If you are interested in learning more about the Nate McMillan Foundation and the Mentoring Camp or in volunteering, visit www.natemcmillanfoundation.org.

Wanda Thomas, Contributing Writer