Opinion: Luc Longley a shining light in Boomers’ darkest hour

LUC Longley is more than just a giant in stature. The three-time NBA champion, three-time Olympian and Boomers assistant coach has proved why he is a true giant of Australian basketball.

LUC Longley is more than just a giant in stature.

Today, the three-time NBA champion, three-time Olympian and Boomers assistant coach proved why he is a true giant of Australian basketball.

STUNNING SCENES: BOOMERS GAME ENDS IN WILD BRAWL

BLOW BY BLOW: HOW THE 60 SECONDS UNFOLDED

LONGLEY: PHILIPPINE ‘THUGS’ TO BLAME FOR BRAWL

When you have been a teammate of the iconic Michael Jordan and patrolled the paint with the colourful Dennis Rodman for the Chicago Bulls, the bright lights — and the tough situations — do not scare you.

Longley and Michael Jordan at the Chicago Bulls in 1998. Photo: AFP

He was hailed a hero after coming to the rescue of Boomers guard Chris Goulding by rag-dolling the gutless Filipino players and coaches who were kicking, punching and hitting the Aussie star with a chair during the wild brawls in the FIBA World Cup qualifier on Monday night.

And Longley stood and delivered again at Brisbane Airport this morning when he, Boomers coach Andrej Lemanis and Daniel Kickert arrived home.

“Yeah, I’ll answer questions. I’ve got a few things to say,’’ Longley said as he walked up to the gathered media throng.

He widened his flipper-sized feet to lower his massive 218cm frame to be closer to the microphones.

It was clear he was about to go off Basketball Australia’s carefully considered party line.

For everything he has done in the game, Longley is comfortable to go off his own script.

Luc Longley speaks to the media as he arrives at Brisbane airport. Photo: AAP.

And he did not miss with Philippine coach Chot Reyes.

“I’ve never seen anything like that, not even on YouTube. I do believe that their coach Chot Reyes incited them to come out and thug us,’’ he said.

“I think there’s evidence of that. Video evidence of that.

“Then he substituted a thug out there who took three or four cheap swings at Bubbles (Goulding). I’m most disturbed with their head coach.

“I think he was embarrassed by the way his team was playing, I think he was embarrassed by the kind of shape they were in, I think he was embarrassed with how they fought.

“He wouldn’t look me in the eye at the end of the game when I shook his hand. I think he was embarrassed and I think that’s where a lot of it came from there.

“I’m upset with him more than anybody. Letting his team take selfies, gangster selfies, on the baseline after an event like that. That just shows a total lack of control or respect.’’

Bang, crash, whallop.

Cop that Chot.

Longley is not on the Boomers coaching staff for the money.

No way.

He doesn’t need it after a 10-year career in the NBA.

He has been with the Australian team since 2013 because he believes in the talent that is coming through the ranks for the Boomers.

He could easily retreat back to his decked-out fishing boat in WA.

But there he was on Monday night, in the midst of what he described as “really disturbing” and “the worst thing I’ve ever seen in the game”.

Longley playing for the Boomers at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Photo: David Kapernick

“Those are sorts of images that you hope you never see, one guy lying on the ground covering up his head and being kicked and beaten by the other team’s players and officials and guys from the crowd — it was horrifying,’’ he said

“I wasn’t supposed to come off the bench … sometimes you decide there’s a more important thing going on.

“I went onto the court to protect our guys with the idea of obviously not hurting everyone, just getting my big body in the way.

“I went to help a couple of other guys and then saw a big throng of blue (Philippines players), I couldn’t even see any yellow (Australians) at the bottom of it.

“Eventually I did see that (yellow uniform) and that’s when we realised that Bubbles had been left by himself, which is not fair.

“He took a lot of hard hits and didn’t swing once in retaliation which was an enormous act of discipline.

“Our group did an amazing job of staying composed in a horrible, scary circumstance. We were generally scared. Obviously the scariest thing was the crowd coming down out of the stadium.’’

Luc Longley's quick-thing may have averted a more desperate situation. Photo: AAP

Rabid Philippines basketball fans on social media have been quick to accuse Australian basketball of being all about thuggery.

But Longley showed what being a Boomer is truly all about.

Toughness, courage, a team-first attitude where you look after your mates and zero tolerance for rubbish.

As Australian basketball moves forward from the shocking scenes at Philippine Arena on Monday, we are lucky to have Luc.

Originally published as Opinion: Luc Longley a shining light in Boomers’ darkest hour