26 years ago today, long before he was carrying Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to their second 3-peat, a rookie Luc Longley — the Aussie Bill Russell — dusted the snow from his long flowing locks and took the court for the Minnesota Timberwolves in a harrowing 10 point loss to the Sedale Threatt-era Los Angeles Lakers… but set his ROOKIE HIGH IN POINTS in the process!
Coming off the bench behind the immortal Felton Spencer and despite boasting hair seemingly lifted from Neighbours‘ Craig McLachlan off the set of his ‘Mona’ video, Big Lucien shredded the Serbian durrie-puncher Vlade Divac and notorious virgin AC Green like a thresher tearing through the endless golden wheat fields of the Narembeen wheatbelt.
See, in his youth big Lucien had the grace of a ballerina and the physicality of a Mack truck, and on this night the Giant Sandgroper displayed a list of offensive moves longer than the Nullarbor.
Dancing around the Lakers big men like Baryshnikov crossed with a Kalashnikov, Big Lucien shot a ridiculously efficient 7-of-9 from the floor and added 6 from 8 in his trips to the charity stripe, showing off the shooting form that would make him one of the most feared big men of the ‘90s on his way to 20 points… his HIGHEST SCORING GAME AS A ROOKIE!
But not to be stopped there, Longley also leapt over Divac and Green like bloody God himself — Gary Ablett Sr — over the top of the Demons in the ’89 semi, snatching 8 rebounds with a ferocity that scared AC Green so much he grew a hymen and vowed not to have sex until he was 38.
The problem was, this all took place in only 25 minutes of court time! Luc could’ve easily had about 40 & 20 but those bloody Anti-Strayan refs slugged big Luc with 5 fouls that could alternately be called ‘rubbish’ and ‘are you bloody blind ya mongrel?’
Anyway! 20 & 8 for Luc Longley’s best game as a rookie! And it was just a sign of things to come as Luc would dominate the NBA for the next decade and lead MJ and Pippen to three straight NBA titles!
Not bloody bad, Luc. Not bloody bad.
#ONYA Big Lucien!
