Mills revealed to Fairfax Media on the eve of the London Olympic Games last year that racist taunts had helped motivate him to reach his basketball dreams.

The Canberra junior now sits on the cusp of achieving one of the biggest prizes in international sport when he lines up in the NBA championship series for the San Antonio Spurs from Friday.

But even on the opposite side of the world, Mills - an avid AFL fan - has been keeping close tabs on the drama involving Sydney Swans veteran Goodes, including the debacle involving Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and his King Kong comments.

Mills wants to be a role model for indigenous athletes and carries three flags with him - the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flags.

''It [racism] is something that's out there and has to be dealt with,'' Mills said on Saturday.

''The big thing for me being an indigenous role model is seeing the way Goodesy handled it in that time and moment.

''For all the young indigenous guys out there who might be getting a bit [of racism towards them], they should be looking up to the way he handled it.

''It should never result in violence or any type of fighting - Goodesy has shown he's a top bloke and a top indigenous role model.''

Mills is proud of his indigenous heritage and his rise into the best basketball competition in the world is an inspiration for a generation of young stars.

His parents Benny and Yvonne will be in the US to watch the NBA championship series as Mills aims to become the first indigenous Australian to win a championship ring.

He is also the first Canberran to be in contention for an NBA title.

Mills has a strong connection to his heritage and his mum Yvonne was part of the stolen generation.

Yvonne was just 2½ years old when she, her brother and three sisters were taken from their mother at Koonibba, west of Ceduna on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula. His dad Benny is a Torres Strait Islander.

When Mills was growing up he was part of the Shadows basketball club in Canberra which gave young athletes from a diverse range of backgrounds a chance to play the sport.

It was more than a club, it was ''a family'' for indigenous people moving to the capital and Mills credits it with the start of his basketball journey.

While Mills has conceded he was the victim of taunts in the past, he refused to let it affect him and used it as inspiration to chase his dreams.

''There are a lot of things you can learn from what has happened [with Goodes],'' Mills said.

''To know that I'm carrying these three flags with me in the NBA is massive.

''You carry the flags for a reason, you're giving back to everyone at home and remembering where you came from and who helped you get there. For me, it's a chance to make people proud back home.''