The day Luc changed Aussie hoops forever

Saturday, 30 November 1991 — 33 years ago, today  — is the day Australian men's basketball changed forever when 7'2" (2.18m) Lucien James Longley stepped on to an NBA floor for the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Dallas Mavericks at Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas.

He played just four minutes, went 0-for-2, committed a foul and had a turnover in the one-point, 79-78, road loss. But the rest is history.

‍Luc Longley became the first Australian to play in the NBA, aged 22 years and 315 days.

Longley was the seventh pick in the 1991 NBA Draft by the Timberwolves, after a four-year career at New Mexico Lobos in the NCAA.

He went on to play 567 NBA games, score 4,090 points (7.2 ppg), grab 2,794 rebounds (4.9 rpg) and make 549 blocks (1.0 bpg) — and win three NBA Championships playing alongside Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman for the Chicago Bulls.

Longley was reflective of the his position in the history of Australian basketball: "It's only we look back in hindsight you think ‘ohhh, that was pretty cool at the time’. (I was aware that Australia had arrived on the NBA scene and as the first Australian, 'I gotta get this right'."

Boss Hunting's Henry Garnett asked Longley about what it was like playing for the Bulls during their three-peat.

“Pride. I was proud. I was like, 'Please give me a job, like, I love the job. I’m like a bit of a kelpie like that. I love a job… I was a bit of a sacrificial lamb," he said.

"That was my paycheque. 'Go and wrestle Shaq all by yourself.' If I could hold back the avalanche long enough, it would be alright."

Longley was the perfect centre for Phil Jackson's triangle offense: An unselfish big man, who can pass with an exceptionally high basketball IQ and hit the midrange jumper. It also helped that he weighed in at 120kg and could set shuddering screens for Jordan.

Describing his time with that Bulls: "You can't script that, people think you're making it up, but it's just it was just basketball poetry."

What about modern era Luc Longley?

“People always ask me, ‘Do you think you could play in today’s NBA?’ And I say, ‘Luc from 90? No'," Longley told Garnett.

"I’d have been too slow, and I didn’t have a three. But when I played, I was a stretch big in effect because I could shoot a jumper and I think, if I was growing up today, I’d have taught myself a three. Like, it’s not that hard. You just have to practice it a lot."

Longley began his elite basketball career in Australia with a brief stint in 1986, playing two games for the Perth Wildcats in NBL. He moved to the United States soon after to play for the Lobos. During three seasons with the Timberwolves, Longley’s performance was modest, but in 1994, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls, on the verge of their historical then NBA record of 72 regular-season wins, and his first of three consecutive championships. Longley was a critical piece of the Bulls' starting lineup throughout their championship three-peat from 1996 to 1998.

After the Bulls’ dynasty dissolved following their 1998 title, Longley played briefly with the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks before retiring from professional basketball.

Longley told Garnett: "My last three years in the league were horrible.

"I had two bad years in Phoenix while my ankle was breaking down. Then I got traded to New York and that was horrible.

"So, at the end of my career, what I remembered was horrible. And so now, with all of this, what I’m getting to remember is the good stuff, which is cool.”

Longley was born on January 19, 1969, in Melbourne, Victoria, to Sue Hansen and Richard Longley.

His father, a 6'10" (2.08m) architect, represented Australia internationally in basketball and competed in two Olympic Games. His mother, standing 6'4" (1.93 m), is an equestrian and now resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Longley has two brothers: Sam, a journalist and actor, and Griffin, a journalist who also played briefly for the Perth Wildcats.

Raised in Fremantle, Western Australia, Longley showed early promise in basketball. At 16, he represented Australia in the Under-19 team and joined the Perth Wildcats the following year, making his NBL debut.

It was 33 years ago that Longley cut a path for the size of his frame. He opened the door for Australian men's basketballers to play at the highest level: the NBA.

Since that fateful day, more than 25 Australians have played in the NBA, including No1 draft pick Andrew Bogut becoming, NBA champions Patty Mills, Aaron Baynes, Matthew Dellavedova and Jack White.

More than three decades later there are now more than a dozen Australians in the NBA: Dyson Daniels; Danté Exum; Johnny Furphy; Josh Giddey; Josh Green; Joe Ingles; Jock Landale; Jack McVeigh; Patty Mills; Ben Simmons; Luke Travers; and Alex Ducas.

But there can only be one first ... and that is Lucien James Longley — a true Australian basketball legend.

Salute, Luc. Salute.

About the Author

Peter Brown is the head coach of the Sydney Comets Women’s Youth League team in the Waratah Basketball League in NSW. He is also the assistant coach for the Comets NBL1 women’s team in the NBL East Conference. Peter is a 30-year journalist, starting as a sports reporter at the NT News in the early 1990s. He played junior basketball for the Northern Territory at national championships from U16 to U20 and for the Territory’s senior men’s team at numerous international tournaments. Peter has been a basketball fan since the early 80s, especially the NBA. Basketball is his passion — and his opinions his own. Email peter.brown@basketball.com.au with feedback. Any email feedback on articles sent to Peter can be published on basketball.com.au for others to read.