Luc Longley
Lucien James Longley arrived in the world on the 19th of January 1969 within the city of Melbourne, Victoria. His father Richard stood tall and represented Australia at international level in basketball. Richard was a member of two Olympic squads before Lucien's birth. His mother Sue Hansen is an equestrian who stands tall herself. The family lived in Fremantle, Western Australia where Lucien grew up. He attended Scotch College in Perth during his youth years. At age 16 he joined the Australian Under-19 side for competition. The following year in 1986 he played just two games for the Perth Wildcats.
Gary Colson traveled to Perth to recruit Andrew Vlahov but found Lucian instead. Vlahov ended up attending Stanford University while Longley chose the University of New Mexico. Longley attended college from 1987 until 1991 playing for the Lobos. During his senior year he averaged 19.1 points per game. He also grabbed 9.2 rebounds and dished out 3.6 assists each contest. New Mexico reached the NCAA Tournament in 1991 with his help. Before heading to New Mexico he spent time at the Australian Institute of Sport in 1986 and 1987. Adrian Hurley coached him there alongside Mark Bradtke and Andrew Vlahov. They formed the nucleus of the Australian Boomers front court later on.
The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Lucien James Longley as the seventh overall pick in 1991. Contract negotiations dragged on so long that they prevented him from playing during the first month of the 1991, 92 NBA season. His debut finally arrived on the 30th of November 1991 against the league. He represented Australia again at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 after two-plus seasons with the struggling franchise. The center was traded to the Chicago Bulls late in the 1993, 94 season. This trade sent Stacey King away to Minnesota in exchange for Longley's services.
Phil Jackson made Longley the starting center during the historic 1995, 96 season. That year the Bulls set an NBA record for most wins in a regular season with 72 victories. Longley became the first Australian player to win an NBA title while staying in the starting lineup. He won three straight championships from 1996 through 1998. Post-season surgery to his left ankle forced him to miss the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He missed almost two months of the 1996, 97 season after dislocating his shoulder. The injury happened while body surfing at Hermosa Beach near the team hotel after a game in Los Angeles. Michael Jordan called him to urge him back onto the court soon because he needed someone to set screens.
Chicago executed a sign-and-trade deal sending Longley to the Phoenix Suns after their 1997, 98 championship run. Mark Bryant, Martin Müürsepp, Bubba Wells and a conditional draft pick went to Chicago. Longley was traded to the New York Knicks prior to the 2000, 01 NBA season. This transaction marked only the second four-team trade in NBA history. Glen Rice, Travis Knight and Vladimir Stepania moved to New York along with Longley. He played one year with the Knicks before retiring due to a degenerative condition in his left ankle. His career spanned ten seasons across four different teams total.
Luc Longley made his international debut for Australia in 1988 during the Seoul Olympics. He finished fourth which stood as the best result an Australian senior men's basketball team had achieved at that time. He appeared in three Summer Olympic Games spanning 1988, 1992 and 2000. Injury prevented him from playing for Australia at the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta. He also missed the 1994 and 1998 FIBA World Championships due to injury. During his international career he played alongside greats like Andrew Gaze and Phil Smyth. Larry Sengstock and Brett Maher were teammates on the national squad. He served as the preferred starting centre whenever possible over twelve years.
Longley became assistant coach of the Australian men's national basketball team from 2013 until 2019. He cited the importance of the Boomers to his growth as a player as the reason for returning. In 1999 he became part-owner of the Perth Wildcats club alongside Andrew Vlahov. He donated his 75% equity to Vlahov in 2004. In 2019 Longley joined the Sydney Kings as a special advisor. By 2022 he became a member of the ownership group for Hoops Capital Pty Ltd. This entity owns both the Kings and the Sydney Flames women's team. He was inducted into Basketball Western Australia Hall of Fame in August 2021.
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Common questions
When and where was Luc Longley born?
Lucien James Longley arrived in the world on the 19th of January 1969 within the city of Melbourne, Victoria. His family lived in Fremantle, Western Australia where he grew up.
Which college did Luc Longley attend and what were his statistics there?
Longley chose the University of New Mexico and attended from 1987 until 1991 playing for the Lobos. During his senior year he averaged 19.1 points per game while grabbing 9.2 rebounds and dishing out 3.6 assists each contest.
How many NBA championships did Luc Longley win with the Chicago Bulls?
He won three straight championships from 1996 through 1998 after Phil Jackson made him the starting center during the historic 1995, 96 season. That year the Bulls set an NBA record for most wins in a regular season with 72 victories.
Why did Luc Longley miss the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta?
Post-season surgery to his left ankle forced him to miss the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He also missed almost two months of the 1996, 97 season after dislocating his shoulder while body surfing at Hermosa Beach near the team hotel after a game in Los Angeles.
What teams did Luc Longley play for during his ten-year NBA career?
His career spanned ten seasons across four different teams total including the Minnesota Timberwolves, Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns, and New York Knicks. The Minnesota Timberwolves selected him as the seventh overall pick in 1991 before he was traded to the Bulls late in the 1993, 94 season.