Longley doesn’t understand basketball talk, says Philippines coach

Philippines coach Chot Reyes last night accused Boomers legend Luc Longley of failing to understand basketball talk

Troy Rike of The Philippines shields Australia’s Chris Goulding during the brawl

Philippines coach Chot Reyes last night accused Boomers legend Luc Longley of failing to understand basketball talk and labelled Daniel Kickert’s elbow on Roger Ray Pogoy an act of thuggery as FIBA set in motion the disciplinary measures to come from the World Cup shocker at Bulacan.

Responding to Longley’s claim that Reyes had instructed his players to act like thugs, the Philippines’ mentor said of the three-time NBA champion: “He can say what he wants. If he doesn’t understand basketball, that’s his problem. When we say pick and roll, we’re not asking a player to roll on the floor. Box-out is not an order to punch. Drive-and-kick is not an order to kick someone.

“The whole statement was, ‘Don’t give up tradition points. Foul early. Hit someone. Put him on his ass …’ It was simply a call to play tough and not back down. I deny instructing any of my players to hurt or fight anyone.”

Australia’s Chris Goulding, who took a pummelling during the melee, broke his silence yesterday and applauded the restraint shown by Matthew Dellavedova in ensuring the Boomers were not disqualified from the World Cup match against the Philippines.

Kickert, whose elbow provoked the violent response from Philippines players, was fined two years ago for a headbutt in an NBL match for the Brisbane Bullets. After another brain explosion made him the worst-behaved of the Australians during fight night at Bulacan, he’s certain to receive a lengthy suspension from FIBA.

The world governing body began the disciplinary process last night but slapped a confidentiality clause on the details. Three incidents in particular were in the crosshairs: the whack from the 208cm, 109kg Kickert to Pogoy’s face; the pack of Philippines players, officials and fans who laid into Goulding; the two attacks on Nathan Sobey after he had come to Goulding’s assistance. A chair was thrown at Sobey’s head before he copped a brutal coward punch from a Filipino official.

Reyes told GMA News: “He (Longley) talks about thuggery. What do you call a six-feet-ten guy (Kickert) elbowing a six-two guy from behind on a dead-ball situation? Overstepping a little bit?”

After receiving details of the disciplinary proceedings, Basketball Australia said in a statement: “FIBA has established a Disciplinary Panel to hear charges against the Boomers arising from the game in Manila. FIBA has placed confidentiality conditions on the details of the charges which prevents their public disclosure.”

Goulding was knocked to the ground by an over-the-top foul from Pogoy that was immediately followed by Kickert’s UFC-style elbow.

Moments later, Goulding was kicked to the ground and subjected to a mob attack.

“He kicked me down under the ring and that’s when I was set upon,” Goulding told SEN radio. “It wasn’t like I knew exactly what was happening, it happened from behind. I was on the ground and 10 to 15 people were on top of me with chairs and everything you can imagine.

“At that point in time, I wasn’t thinking I might lose my life. It was just literally, protect the head and just wait it out. Sobey saw me down there, he knew what was going on and he tried to come and help. He had a chair thrown at him and then he was coward punched.”

Dellavedova played peacekeeper when he ordered his benched teammates to stay off the court. Without his intervention, all but one of Australia’s players would have been ejected from the match, handing victory to The Philippines. Criticism had been directed at the off-court Boomers’ players for not rushing to Goulding’s defence, but he said: “In the end, the discipline that we showed as a team is what won us the game. If we ran off the bench everyone would have been disqualified.”

The Philippines’ Troy Rike received a 200,000 peso ($5000) reward from a team sponsor for standing over Goulding in an attempt to protect him.

He said he would donate a portion of the money to charities in The Philippines and Australia.

Rike told Fox Sports: “From far away, I just saw someone getting attacked on the ground. I wasn’t really thinking. I just went over and tried to get people off him.”