Luc Longley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Position | Center |
|---|---|
| Height | 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) |
| Weight | 292 lb (132 kg) |
| Born | January 19, 1969 Melbourne, Victoria |
| Nationality | Australian |
| College | New Mexico |
| Draft | 7th overall, 1991 Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Pro career | 1991–2001 |
| Former teams | Perth Wildcats 1986 Minnesota Timberwolves 1991-94 Chicago Bulls 1994-98 Phoenix Suns 1998-2000 New York Knicks 2000-01 |
Lucien James "Luc" Longley (born January 19, 1969 in Melbourne, Victoria) is a retired Australian professional basketball player, who was the first Australian to play in the NBA. He attended college at the University of New Mexico. Known for his passing ability and free spirit, Longley drew comparisons to fellow redhead Bill Walton upon his entry into the NBA.
Longley was drafted 7th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1991. After two plus mediocre seasons with the struggling franchise, the 7'2" (218 cm) center was traded to the Chicago Bulls for Stacey King late in the 1993-94 season.
Following the break up of the championship Bulls in 1998, Chicago did a sign and trade with Longley, sending him to the Phoenix Suns for Mark Bryant, Martin Muursepp, Bubba Wells and a conditional first-round draft pick. Longley spent two lackluster seasons with Phoenix, where he gained less attention for his play than for being stung twice by a scorpion while sitting on the floor of his home sorting through his CD collection.1 He was traded to the New York Knicks prior to the 2000-01 NBA season in what was only the second four-team trade in NBA history. The Suns acquired Chris Dudley as part of the deal together with a first-round draft pick from New York and an undisclosed amount of cash, while New York received Longley, Glen Rice, Travis Knight, Vladimir Stepania, Lazaro Borrell, Vernon Maxwell, two first-round draft picks (from the Los Angeles Lakers and the Seattle SuperSonics) and two second-round draft picks from Seattle. Seattle received Patrick Ewing and the Lakers received Horace Grant, Greg Foster, Chuck Person and Emanual Davis. Longley spent one year with New York before retiring. Longley averaged 7.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in his 567 regular season game NBA career. Longley played more NBA games than any other Australian and is widely regarded as one of the best Australian basketballers ever.
Although Longley did not appear in many international matches with the Australian Boomers during his career, this could be due to various injuries that stemmed from an ankle injury that eventually ended his playing days.
Longley attended Scotch College, Perth for the majority of his high schooling, was part-owner of the Perth Wildcats basketball club in the Australian National Basketball League for several years (he played 2 games for the club in 1986), and is currently the #1 ticket holder of the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League.
On April 6, 2007, Longley's $2 million[1] home in Fremantle,[1] Western Australia, was destroyed by fire.[2] It is believed much of Longley's memorabilia from his basketball career was lost, although his three championship rings may have been spared.[1]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c Explosion woke basketball player, April 7, 2007
- ^ Ex-Bulls center, family safe following Friday night's fire, April 7, 2007
[edit] External links
- NBA.com player file
- David Zingler: Luc Longley: A footnote in NBA history
- Stung by a scorpion reference
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