Achieving excellence and being human are not exclusive.
Luc Longley AM is an iconic Australian and basketball champion.
Luc's inherent curiosity and courage led him to blaze the trail for elite Australian basketballers becoming the first Australian to play in the NBA. He also represented Australia in three Olympic Teams including at the 1988 Seoul Olympics which delivered Australia's best result for the Men's Team until 2021.
Luc joined the Chicago Bulls in 1994 and was their starting centre from 1995 to 1998. He was a critical component in their famous three-peat, winning back to back championships from 1996-1998 and setting an NBA record with 72 wins and only 10 losses. Luc was coached and mentored by the legendary Phil Jackson and played alongside some of basketball's most iconic players including Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc and Steve Kerr. The Team, and this incredible accomplishment, were the subjects of the 2020 Netflix & ESPN Documentary, The Last Dance.
Following the Bull's 1998 victory Luc was traded to the Phoenix Suns and then the New York Knicks. In 2001, Luc retired from professional basketball due to a degenerative condition in his ankle which plagued him throughout his career.
Luc returned to Perth and withdrew from the world of basketball and began exploring other interests as well as raising his young family.
After a 12-year break, Luc re-entered the world of basketball and signed on as an Assistant Coach for the Australian National Men's Team, the Boomers, ahead of the London 2012 Olympics, a role he held until recently. Luc currently works with the Sydney Kings as a special advisor and takes great pride in mentoring the next generation of elite Australian basketballers.
In 2019 Luc was named a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to basketball as a player, coach and administrator.
Awards & Recognition:
1989 “ Recipient of the Gaze Medal for the Australian International Player of the Year
1989 and 1990 - Honourable mention NCAA All American for Basketball
2001 “ Inducted into the Australian Institute of Sport's 'Best of the Best.'
2006 - Inducted into Basketball Australia's Hall of Fame in Melbourne
2009 “ Inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, only the fourth basketballer to receive this honour
2019 “ Named a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to basketball as a player, coach and administrator
Talking Points
The Man in the Middle: In Conversation with Luc Longley
Duration: 45 minutes plus 15 minutes of audience Q&AThe Man in the Middle: In Conversation with Luc Longley
Luc Longley is a trailblazer whose inherent sense of curiosity led him to become the first-ever Australian to play in the NBA and a key component of one of the best teams of all time, the Chicago Bulls, who he won 3 back to back championships with from 1995 to 1998.
In this facilitated conversation, Luc will share insights into his background, his journey to the Chicago Bulls and what it was like to be part of such an iconic moment in time. Luc will also share the lessons he learnt along the way about leadership, high performance, building a diverse team, the importance of habits to maintaining good mental health and how striving for success and being a good human are not mutually exclusive ambitions.
This presentation covers the following themes, but if you would like to focus on a particular area, Luc and his facilitator can tailor the conversation to suit your needs:
- Leadership and the influence of Phil Jackson
- Teamwork and the value of building diverse teams
- Striving for and maintaining peak performance
- The Power of Mindset
- The Value of Curiosity
- Resilience and techniques for maintaining good mental health
Luc is a disarmingly authentic and gifted storyteller, and audiences will leave this session with renewed insight into an iconic moment in history along with valuable lessons and takeaways that translate into their work and personal endeavours.
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Luc was remarkable! A highly engaged, authentic speaker, a great combination of elite sportsman and humility. He was incredibly open, sharing deeply on a personal level the highs and low ... keep reading YPO Western Australia
Luc Longley was awesome. We were all mesmerized by his story telling. His journey resonated with so many, because he was so open and candid. We met Luc Longley the wonderfully imperfect human who also happened to be an epic elite athlete. He generously stayed back for photos and autographs which our team loved. Thanks Luc.
Luc is incredibly friendly, generous and was able to adapt to the crowd. It was a large and somewhat rowdy audience; he captivated the entire room completely and dealt with some curly questions in his stride.
Luc was warm, engaging, friendly, funny, incredibly humble and gracious. He made the room feel at ease and made everyone laugh with his captivating stories.
