‘I don't feel sorry for Josh': Luc Longley's telling Giddey praise amid $46m NBA call
Australian basketball legend Luc Longley is backing Josh Giddey to prove his doubters wrong and lead the Chicago Bulls back to NBA glory as the young Aussie awaits a monster payday.
The 22-year endured a rocky start to his time at the Bulls after being traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder last off-season in exchange for defensive stopper Alex Caruso.
Watch every game of The NBA Finals LIVE with ESPN on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
But Giddey went on a tear after the All-Star break after Chicago traded Zach Lavine, averaging 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists — a near triple double — in the home stretch of the season.
OKC went on to win a league-high 68 regular season games this year after Giddey's departure and the Thunder are currently trailing the Indiana Pacers 2-1 in the NBA Finals as they chase a championship with a formidable roster.
But Longley, who was traded to the Bulls and won three championship as the starting centre playing alongside Michael Jordan in the 1990s, said he doesn't feel sorry for Giddey.
'I don't feel a single bit sorry for Josh,' Longley told news.com.au ahead of the release of his new ESPN x Hahn documentary Lane Violation, which tracks his changing relationship with Andrew Bogut over the course of Bogut's career.
Bogut, who won an NBA title with the Golden State Warriors, said the brutal nature of Giddey's benching by the OKC Thunder in last season's playoffs would sting.
'I mean he essentially got benched and was somewhat told that 'we can't win with him in the line-up',' Bogut told news.com.au.
'He's been on record saying he'd rather it happened now than in year seven, eight, nine, ten — and work out the kinks at an earlier age.
'But to some young guys that could derail you, that could mentally screw you.'
Longley added about getting traded: 'It does, it motivates a lot of people. Certainly people love a story to rally behind and be motivated by.'
Giddey became a near triple double machine in the back-end of the NBA regular season and the Bulls are expected to re-sign him as they are urged to lean into a rebuilding around a young core.
'He's bounced back even better for it and now you know second half of the year for him was phenomenal,' Bogut said.
'Chicago's gonna have to have to pay him, I think. I don't think they have any choice with the way the (salary) cap is.'
Giddey and fellow Aussie Dyson Daniels, crowned the NBA's Most Improved Player, are set to receive massive contract extensions this off-season that will rocket the duo to the top of Australia's sporting rich list.
Daniels and Giddey, who is a restricted free agent, are tipped to sign long-term extensions worth around US$30 million (A$46 million) per season.
'The money is just absurd,' Giddey's dad Warrick told Code Sports.
If the Bulls can trade centre Nicola Vucevic this off-season, it would free up salary cap space to re-sign Giddey and build the team around the Aussie, Coby White, Matas Buzelis and Ayo Dosunmu.
The Bulls have been in basketball no-man's land for several years — a regular in the NBA's play-in tournament — not bad enough to land a high draft pick but not good enough to challenge for playoff series wins.
Chicago's six NBA championships came during Michael Jordan's time at the Bulls in the 1990s, and apart from Derrick Rose's MVP year and a couple of playoff runs, it's been a lean 27 years since the iconic franchise's last title.
But Longley believes Giddey can help the Bulls rebuild and escape the NBA's purgatory in the middle of the standings.
'Yeah, I think his game can help.' Longley said. 'I think he's got a natural charisma that people like.'
Longley highlighted Giddey's halfcourt buzzerbeater shot over the outstretched hands of LA Lakers stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic as potentially a pivotal moment in the point guard's career.
'I think that shot all by itself drew so much attention to the Bulls,' Longley said.
'For me, it was quite a poignant shot.
'I grew up with his dad playing basketball on national team and living in the Institute of Sport, and even still when I'm in Melbourne, I'm hanging out with his dad.
'So there's the Giddey connection. There's the Bulls connection. There's an Australian over there doing it the NBA.
'Then there's the fact it's over LeBron and Doncic — I particularly like the fact it's over the Lakers. It's just such a great shot.
'With Josh, I hope that they build the right pieces with him and around him. And I do believe in his appetite for it.
'I think he is supremely motivated by things more than money. He is deeply competitive.'
The Lane Violation documentary follows the changing relationship between the only two Australian seven-footers to truly dominate in the NBA.
When he was taken with the No. 1 pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2005, Bogut famously said he was not as slow as Longley and more athletic and competitive.
Those comments didn't go down with well with Longley, who told Bogut to 'pull his head in' at the time.
The towering centres went on to work together at the Australian Boomers and with the Sydney Kings, where Bogut has moved into an assistant coaching role.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
NRL news, updates: Fans up in arms over ugly ‘dog shot' on exciting Warriors talent Taine Tuaupiki, New Zealand, Parramatta Eels
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Former Manly Eagles centre Alfred Smalley is facing an extended stint on the sidelines after a sickening dog shot on exciting Warriors talent Taine Tuaupiki in the NSW Cup on Saturday. In the closing seconds of the Warriors' 46-22 win a frustrated Smalley lost his head, charging out of the line and flooring the young fullback. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Video of the incident appears to show the 26-year-old strike the New Zealand fullback with his shoulder or forearm, sending him flying backwards. If that wasn't enough Smalley then flopped on top of Tuaupiki who was out cold. Smalley was unsurprisingly sent off, while Tuaupiki was helped to his feet. You can watch the ugly incident in the player above. Former Manly Eagles centre Alfred Smalley is facing an extended stint on the sidelines after a sickening dog shot on exciting Warriors talent Taine Tuaupiki. Image: Getty/X Incredibly with the help of the trainer the 25-year-old managed to walk off the field and informed fans hours later that he was doing okay on social media. But rugby league commentator Sam Hewat was disgusted by what he witnessed. 'Absolute dog shot here to the head of Taine Tuaupiki in NSW Cup. ZERO leeway for this in our game. 10 seconds to go in the match, down by 22 points, and you fly inside two of your own defenders to try and take a guy's head off,' he wrote on X. 'Justifiably sent off in the game but should get more.' And fans were equally outraged. 'That's beyond disgraceful. He should have the book thrown at him,' one fan wrote. 'That's a total disgrace,' another added. 'That's disgusting,' a third wrote. Fortunately, Tuaupiki recovered enough from the incident to be cleared to board the plane home to Auckland on Saturday night. Originally published as Footy world outraged over former NRL player's ugly 'dog shot'
Daily Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
Australian Test cricket crisis laid bare as major shake-up looms, World Test Championship final, South Africa, Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja, latest team news, updates
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News. COMMENT As Australia licks its wounds from an embarrassing five-wicket World Test Championship final defeat at the hands of South Africa, changes are already being discussed both internally and externally. But there isn't long for Australian selectors to get their ducks in a row, with the next two-year Test cricket cycle beginning later this month with a three-Test series against the West Indies. There are many things for selectors to mull over, such as who should open the batting, and if it is worth bringing in a second specialist tweaker such as Matt Kuhnemann, with subcontinental conditions usually favouring the tweakers. West Indies vs. Australia Test & T20I Series | Watch every ball LIVE with ESPN, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. But what does not appear to have changed is the selectors' stubbornness in selecting the best six Australian batsmen irrespective of where they usually bat, their age or whether or not they are in form. However, sooner rather than later they will need to look beyond just a single Test series as the reality is they have somewhat screwed themselves by sticking solid with the same group of veterans. The reality is the Australian squad is ageing out and the next generation has been badly devoid of opportunities. The two youngsters blooded last summer, Nathan McSweeney and Sam Konstas were both dropped despite the former being played in an unfamiliar role as opener and the latter being overlooked for non-openers Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne. That was despite the fact he rattled the world's best bowler in the world Jasprit Bumrah and clearly has immense raw untapped ability. Make that make sense. Australia need to make changes and fast. Image: Getty Aussie fans have been blessed with a strong generation of cricketers, which has resulted in the side taking out major tournament after major tournament until now. The WTC final defeat will be a tough pill to swallow but for Aussie fans, it could be about to get much worse, with years of selection decisions set to come back to bite in the long run. In the World Test Championship, Cam Green was the only Aussie under the age of 30 in the team. And when injuries have presented selectors with the chance to blood youth, instead they routinely turn to the likes of Scott Boland and Michael Neser and others deep into their 30s. It has seen many other fast bowlers come and go as nothing more than Sheffield Shield journeymen and it is even more grim for the batsman. That is why the likes of Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja and before them David Warner were almost undroppable. Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw have all come and gone, dropped at the first sign of struggle, while others hold onto their spots regardless of their output. The reality is that come the next WTC final, it would be fair to assume half of the Australian side that lined up this week will be retired, so major changes need to happen sooner rather than later. Josh Inglis could solve Australia's opener woes. (Photo by) Who should Australia select for the West Indies series? Let's start with the openers. It's time to go Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja. Khawaja returned scores of 0 and 6 in the WTC final and has had a very grim few years with the bat, barring one series against Sri Lanka. At 38 years of age, his time has come and gone and luckily for Australia, there is a ready-made replacement in Konstas. The teenager has a lot of work to do granted but there is no shortage of raw talent and competitiveness ready to be moulded into a potentially generational batsman. While fellow WTC final opener Labuschagne is badly out of touch and a stint back in Sheffield Shield could do him the world of good. He is averaging just 25.63 in Tests during the 2024/25 season and looked devoid of all confidence against South Africa. In his place, I would go with Josh Inglis. His rapid-fire century on Test debut in Sri Lanka earlier this year reinforced his credentials as a red ball player and is someone who Australia needs to find a spot for. So why not at opener? Steve Smith is a No. 3 whether he likes it or not. That move would also allow for Cam Green to slot in at his preferred four. However, it is worth noting Smith dislocated his finger in the loss to the Proteas. If he isn't fit I could advocate for Nathan McSweeney to come in. At 26 years old, the batsman's best years are ahead of him and after two strong Sheffield Shield seasons he deserves a proper crack in the Test fold, where he isn't thrown to the wolves facing the new ball. From there I would keep it fairly similar to the side who were beaten by South Africa with Travis Head, Beau Webster and Alex Carey rounding out the middle order. From there, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are all nearly undroppable as is Nathan Lyon. But I could entertain a rotation of one pace bowler getting a rest so tweaker Matt Kuhnemann could make up a two-pronged spin attack with Lyon. Sam Konstas deserves another crack at opener. (Photo by) Nathan McSweeney has been strong at Sheffield Shield level in the past few seasons. (Photo by) Pat Cummins suggests changes are on the cards With the 2027 WTC cycle kicking off when Australia travel to the West Indies, Australian skipper Cummins hinted that changes could be on the cards. 'We've got a couple of weeks before the first Test in the Windies, so we'll sit down and have a bit of a think after we digest this game,' he said. 'But for me, I think a new WTC cycle in some ways does feel like a bit of a reset. 'It's probably more for the selectors and for me to sit down and map it ahead.' Cummins also suggested the likes of Konstas and Inglis could find themselves in the team come the first Test against the Windies. 'Coming to this match, you've got guys like Sam Konstas and Scotty Boland and Josh Inglis, all those guys were right on the fringes,' he said. 'So I think again, after this Test match, everyone gets thrown back into the conversation.' Australia's three-Test series against West Indies in Barbados kicks off on June 25. Predicted Australian XI to face the West Indies 1. Sam Konstas 2. Josh Inglis 3. Steve Smith (or Nathan McSweeney) 4. Cam Green 5. Travis Head 6. Beau Webster 7. Alex Carey 8. Pat Cummins 9. Mitchell Starc 10. Nathan Lyon 11. Josh Hazlewood Originally published as 'Screwed themselves': Aussie crisis laid bare as major Test shake-up looms
Daily Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
US Open final round live scores: Adam Scott eyes major, Sam Burns leads
On a punishing Oakmont course famed for crowning first-time major winners, Sam Burns finds himself on the brink of joining a historic list. The 28-year-old American will carry a one-stroke lead into the final round of the 125th US Open after firing a one-under-par 69 in the third round to stand on four-under 206. Burns, who leads compatriot J.J. Spaun and 2013 Masters winner Adam Scott of Australia by one stroke, is among nine first-major hopefuls in the top 10. Scott holed three birdies on the back nine to finish three under par for the round and the tournament, and will join Burns in the final pairing of the day on Monday morning Australian time (4:15am AEST). Adam Scott is in a good position ahead of the US Open's final round. Picture: Getty Images Aside from Scott, no other player inside the top 10 of the leaderboard has ever claimed a major championship, with the former world number one looking to join Greg Norman, Peter Thompson and David Graham as just the fourth Aussie man to win multiple majors. Seven first-time major winners at Oakmont include 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus, South African Ernie Els and Americans Johnny Miller and Dustin Johnson. First-major hopeful Sam Burns leads the US Open field before the final round. Picture: AP Photo 'It would be incredible,' Burns said. 'As a kid growing up you dream about winning major championships and that's why we practice so hard and work so hard. 'The opportunity to win a major is special. I'm definitely really excited for tomorrow. 'The history here and all the people that have been before me and walked these grounds and played here, it's really special.' US Open final round tee times 9:52pm Cam Davis 12:20am Ryan Fox (NZ) 1:58am Jason Day 3:20am Marc Leishman 4:15am Adam Scott Follow Adam Scott's charge through the final round of the 125th US Open in our live blog below. Originally published as US Open final round live scores: Adam Scott one shot behind first-major hopeful Sam Burns
