Instead, he came Down Under and spent his alleged time off visiting the bushfire-devastated NSW south coast. A part of Australia the Canberran would know all too well.

And it highlights exactly why Lauren Jackson backs Patty Mills to carry the Australian flag at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Not only is he a leader, he's an Indigenous leader. Not only is he a basketballer, he's a gun basketballer.

Now you can throw top bloke into the mix as well.

On the court he's already got an NBA championship ring on his finger. Off the court the San Antonio Spurs guard just keeps taking things to another level.

Not only has Mills been an integral part of the NBA's first ever Indigenous Heritage Night, where he delivered a pre-game Welcome to Country.

But he's backed that up by showing his compassion at a time when he was well within his rights to be putting his feet up.

He's been travelling the south coast visiting the hard-hit areas. Buying local fruit seller's entire stock of nectarines to help get their economy rolling again.

Then handing those tasty stone fruits out to school kids at his next stop along the road.

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Fittingly, he's also been signing bobble heads of himself and giving them out to kids. Bobble heads that fittingly have Mills wearing a cape. A cape made from an Indigenous flag and a Torres Strait Island flag. Super Mills.

It's easy to see how perfect a fit the 31-year-old would be to be bearing a flag.

Jackson did it herself, leading the Australian team out at the London Olympics in 2012. It was her third of four Olympics. And third of three silver medals, with a bronze also to be added to the collection.

She'd love to see Mills receive the same honour she had eight years ago. She's heard some talk along the same lines and likes what she's heard.

"I've heard some rumblings so I hope Patty is [the flag bearer]," Jackson told The Canberra Times.

"He's an amazing ambassador for the sport and for Australia.

"And what he's managed to do over in the NBA and what he's doing locally, he's incredible.

"I'd love to see Patty holding the flag and representing Australia."

Jackson hasn't been surprised by what Mills has become. Champion basketballer. Australian leader. Indigenous leader. And now modern-day Mother Theresa can also be added to the list.

He's been part of an Australian movement on the court. At a time when the stocks of Aussie talent in the NBA seem to be continuously growing.

There was that 2014 NBA championship, when he was an integral part of their first title in seven years. Shooting the lights out from beyond the three-point arc to set up a match-winning lead to decide the title in game five.

Jackson always knew the Canberra Marist College student would come to this.

That the young boy from a Torres Strait Islander father and an Indigenous mother would grow into the leader, the Indigenous leader, he has become.

"I did. I think everybody that knew him did," Jackson said.

"Patty has an incredible platform and what he's done in promoting Australia and Indigenous Australians and what he's doing is incredible.

"So I think he's an iconic young man and he's got a huge future ahead of him, not just as a basketballer. I'm so proud of him."

How couldn't you be? Especially the manner in which he's done it. Simply by being himself. Simply by being there.

Shop local. It's been a motto of his trip. Just as the nectarine could be the emblem.

It was when he stopped at Martin's Orchard at Jerrawangala, south of Nowra, that the story about that began.

"Two lovely women were standing inside a little roadside shed, selling what they had left of the nectarines for the season," Mills tweeted.

"So we kindly asked if we could purchase everything they had and loaded two tray beds of fresh, tasty nectarines.

"After some very heartfelt hugs, we kept it moving."

Until he got to Nowra High School where the bounty was unloaded. Then it was back to Sydney. And back to the USA. With his All Star break done.

While there won't be a break for this All Star, there should be a flag. When he gets to Tokyo.