12. Luc Longley
Luc Longley is best known for his days with the Chicago Bulls, but the Australian native was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the seventh overall selection in the 1991 NBA draft.
He attended college at the University of New Mexico where he put up some terrific numbers throughout his four years there. He averaged over 18 points and nine rebounds both his Junior and Senior seasons.
Unfortunately, Longley didn’t get off to a great start endearing himself to Timberwolves’ fans. He actually missed the first month of his rookie year due to not being able to come to a contract agreement with the franchise.
In Longley’s two and a half seasons in Minnesota, he averaged 5.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, a big turn from his college days.
In February of 1994, Longley was traded to the Chicago Bulls along with a second-round pick in exchange for Stacey King.
During Longley’s time in Chicago, he won three straight championships from 1996-1998 and became the first ever Australian-born player to win an NBA title.
Longevity was an area of concern for the big man as he never played all 82 games in a season and only played more than 63 games on two occasions.
At 7 feet 2 inches tall, Longley was expected to make an impact on the boards. However, he never dominated the glass like he did in college, averaging only 4.9 rebounds per game throughout his career.
Perhaps, Longley’s best season came during the 1997-98 season, the last of the Bulls’ three-peat of championships.
That year, Longley averaged 11.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game.
Longley was traded the subsequent year to the Phoenix Suns in a sign and trade agreement for three players and a first-round pick.
He finished his career with the New York Knicks, appearing in only 25 games during the 2000-01 season.