Jordan realized how valuable Longley was after he lost him.
Luc Longley knew of the Chicago Bulls and their basketball excellence. The Australian was well aware that he was in a good place when the team traded for him in the 1993-94 season.
But the following year, Luc met Michael Jordan, the guy responsible for putting the Bulls on the basketball map, and the big smile was wiped off his face. Longley admitted that he disliked MJ when they first met. The center recalled heated encounters with the guard, whom he claimed was the main instigator.
The evolution of Longley's relationship with the GOAT
"I'd have to say after he came back, I didn't like the guy," Longley wrote in Running With the Bulls, per The Ringer. "I found him difficult to be around, and he and I obviously didn't see eye-to-eye. We were at each other's throats in practice, and that was a case of frustration from both of us, mostly from him."
Jordan getting into quarrels with his teammates was a common sight. As detailed in The Last Dance, MJ's leadership style verged on tyranny. His philosophy was that practices had to be more intense than the actual games. That's how soldiers prepare for war.
Not everyone liked Mike's style; one of them included Luc. The Aussie was not fond of the guard's non-negotiability. He knew he had something good to contribute to the team if you gave him ample freedom.
Ironically, things took a turn in Longley's favor when he suffered a shoulder injury while body surfing in California in 1996. He was sidelined for a couple of games, which meant that someone less experienced had to pick the slack.
"That was when Michael's and my relationship went to the next level," Longley claimed. "He realized, at that stage, how good my screens were, how useful I was."
The Melbourne native claimed that Jordan called him several times during rehab because he missed his solid screens. At that moment, Longley and MJ became a formidable duo.
Luc's physical prowess
Phil Jackson actively pursued Luc after seeing his performance with the Minnesota Timberwolves. At that time, Shaquille O'Neal was a force inside the paint, and the Zen Master felt they needed a hefty body to contain him.
"And at 320 pounds, he was just crushing people and knocking them back in the lane to shoot a little six-foot jump hook," Jackson said. "And we were trying to compete with them at that time. Luc was a guy that showed no fear, played the game physically enough, and we wanted to hold Shaq back so he couldn't get close to the basket."
True enough, when the Magic and the Bulls faced in the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals, the Jordan-led squad dominated Orlando in four games. Longley proved to everyone that not only did he co-exist with a basketball god like Jordan, but he was a key part of a championship team.
