Luc Longley

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Longley began his career in Australia with a brief stint playing for the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1986. He played collegiately for the New Mexico Lobos and was drafted 7th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1991 NBA draft. He played three seasons with the Timberwolves before he was traded to the Bulls in 1994. He became the Bulls' starting centre during their historic 1995–96 season when they set the NBA record for most wins in a regular season with 72. Longley was an important component of the team's success and stayed in the Bulls' starting lineup during their championship three-peat. After the demise of the Bulls after their 1998 championship win, he had brief stints playing with the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks.

In Their Own Story

The 1996–97 season tested Longley's resilience after he dislocated his shoulder in Hermosa Beach. His absence left a void in the Bulls' rotation until he could recover. The source highlights a specific interaction during this period: Jordan, frustrated by the lack of effective screens, began calling Longley personally to push him back onto the court. This dynamic underscored Longley's tactical importance; his role was not just scoring but facilitating the offense through screening and positioning. Before joining Chicago, he had already established himself as a key figure for Australia, representing the nation at the 1988 Seoul Olympics where they finished fourth, a record best result for an Australian senior men's team at the time. His transition from the struggling Timberwolves to the Bulls marked a turning point in his career, shifting him from a lottery pick in Minnesota to a championship cornerstone in Chicago.

Reader's Guide

Longley was born 19 January 1969 in Melbourne, Victoria, to Sue (née Hansen) and Richard Longley. He grew up in Fremantle, Western Australia. At age 16 he was a member of the Australian Under-19 side and the following year, 1986, he joined the Wildcats, with whom he played two games. He attended college at the University of New Mexico from 1987 to 1991. He helped New Mexico reach the NCAA Tournament in 1991. At nineteen he was a member of the national team for the Seoul Olympics. He also spent time at the Australian Institute of Sport in 1986 and 1987. When Longley returned home to Perth during college breaks, he regularly suited up for the Perth Redbacks, helping the team to win consecutive State Basketball League (SBL) championships in 1989 and 1990. Longley was drafted 7th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1991. After long contract negotiations, he made his NBA debut for the Timberwolves on 30 November 1991. In 1992, he again represented Australia at the Barcelona Olympics. After two-plus seasons with the struggling franchise, the 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) center was traded to the Chicago Bulls for Stacey King late in the 1993–94 season. Longley became the Bulls' starting center. He won three straight championships with the Bulls from 1996 to 1998. After he played 55 games from the bench in 1994–95, Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson made him the starting center in 1995–96. Post-season surgery to his left ankle and the recovery time forced him to miss playing for the Australian Boomers at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Longley missed almost two months of the 1996–97 season after dislocating his shoulder while body surfing at Hermosa Beach. After the breakup of the Bulls roster after the 1997–98 season, Chicago did a sign-and-trade deal with Longley, sending him to the Phoenix Suns. Longley was traded to the New York Knicks prior to the 2000–01 NBA season. He played one year with New York before retiring, due to a degenerative condition in his left ankle. Longley made his international debut for the Australia national basketball team in 1988. He appeared in three Summer Olympic Games (1988, 1992 and 2000) as well as at the 1990 FIBA World Championship. Injury prevented him from playing for Australia at the 1996 Olympic games as well as the 1994 and 1998 FIBA World Championships. In 2001, Longley was inducted into the Australian Institute of Sport 'Best of the

Did You Know?

• Longley was the first Australian to play in the NBA.
• He won three consecutive NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls from 1996 to 1998.
• Longley missed the 1996 Olympics due to ankle surgery.
• He dislocated his shoulder while body surfing in 1996–97, missing almost two months.
• Longley was traded to the Chicago Bulls for Stacey King in 1994.