Boomers legend Luc Longley urges Ben Simmons to make a call on his World Cup commitment

Boomers coach Brian Goorjian has left a roster spot open for Ben Simmons but as the World Cup looms the NBA All-Star is being pressed to make a decision.

Boomers great Luc Longley believes Australia can win this year’s World Cup with Ben Simmons in the side, but he wants the three-time NBA All-Star to make a call on his Cup commitment.

Basketball Australia has given Ben Simmons a deadline to commit to the Boomers’ World Cup campaign – and one of the sport’s greatest players says it’s now or never for Simmons.

Three-time Olympian Luc Longley believes the Australians can win this year’s World Cup with Simmons in the line-up, but he wants the NBA All-Star to make his Cup intentions clear now.

It comes as national officials have identified early June for Simmons to declare if he wants to don the green and gold.

Boomers coach Brian Goorjian has left a roster spot open for the Melbourne-born guard if he wants to attend the Australia’s pre-World Cup camp in Cairns from August 1 to 10.

Longley can also see significant upside in Simmons representing Australia, but he doesn’t want him to keep stringing along the Boomers.

“My message is that Ben just needs to say yes or no,” Longley said about Simmons, who has been cleared to move to the next stage of his back rehab.

“They (the Boomers) don’t need to be carrying questions into their preparation.”

Ben Simmons is back training after suffering a back injury and is in the mix to represent Australia at this year’s World Cup. Picture: AFP

Longley acknowledges the Boomers’ culture has long placed the team before any individual.

This mentality is what has given the Australians an edge on the international stage dating back decades.

Longley, though, can understand why the Boomers are prepared to wait for Simmons to announce his World Cup intentions.

“Because our talent isn’t so deep that we (can’t consider him)” he said.

“Also, the guys in the team want to win a medal and they know Ben can help.

“So, it would be a hard thing for the guys to sell to the team that we’re a month out and Ben wants to play but we aren’t going to bring him.

“That is a hard thing to sell to a team that is craving another medal.”

Longley remembers attempting to include Simmons in the Boomers team during his time as a national assistant coach.

He revealed the coaching staff repeatedly reached out to the NBA star at the playing group’s request.

“I know when we were there, we kept giving Ben chances to get on board because the pressure from the group is that we want him and we want to win,” he said.

Luc Longley tried to include Ben Simmons in the Boomers team previously. Photo: Will Russell/Getty Images.

“That was one of the hardest thins we had to do when I was at the Boomers was navigate that space for Ben.

“So, it is a tricky one for Goorj.”

Longley joked the Boomers team would “hang him from the rafters and throw sharp objects” if he didn’t think they had a shot at World Cup glory.

Humour and bias aside, he genuinely thinks the Australians can compete for a gold medal alongside the likes of the USA, France, Spain and Serbia.

“They’ve got every chance to win it,” he said.

“I think they’ve got the pieces, they’re really well coached and not just Goorjian but Matty Nielsen has got some serious chops as a coach.

“So does Adam Caporn – he knows what he is doing.

“Of course, so much has to go right. There is no mathematical equation you can run over international basketball that will spit Australia out at the end.

“But if you were a numbers guy you would say we’re a chance and I believe that.”

Longley is currently touring the nation to unveil his Aussie Legends Range with the NBA.

The Longley range is a collection of versatile essentials for any basketball or street-style fan, developed in collaboration with Philadelphia-based clothing company Mitchell and Ness Nostalgia Co.

It’s been 25 years since Longley won his third NBA championship at the Chicago Bulls alongside Michael Jordan and co, but the sight of his No.13 Bulls singlet on sale in Australia is helping him bring the past into the present.

The recreation of his NBA singlet is also sparking special memories for a generation of hoops fans who grew up with Jordan’s Bulls being basketball’s rock star version of the Beatles.

Luc Longley won three NBA titles alongside Michael Jordan at the Chicao Bulls.

Longley was recently approached by a boy in tears who used to watch Chicago games with his now deceased dad.

The Aussie hoops legend has also had multiple babies thrown at him while he felt pure joy when his kids noticed a woman at a Perth bar wearing a Longley singlet.

“It (the Bulls) was a long time ago, but the fact it still rests in people’s memories makes me very proud,” he said.

“I’ve had the Last Dance and then my Australian Story documentary, but almost more this.

“This is now that moment I’m pulled back and like, ‘wow, the NBA is putting my jersey up in their shop and recognising what I did’.

“It’s definitely a nice punctuation point on what has been a long sentence in the last couple of years. It’s very cool.”

Originally published as Boomers legend Luc Longley urges Ben Simmons to make a call on his World Cup commitment