What he did: Grant Long will tell you he never had NBA All-Star talent but he will add, "No one, I mean no one, ever outworked me.'' That may be true for the 16-year veteran and former Hawks power forward who always stood out on the court, standing 6-feet-8 and outfitted with his Kareem Abdul Jabbar goggles. Long played 28,514 minutes in his 1,003 games and was always known as a defensive thorn for such star forwards as Karl Malone, Charles Barkley and even his once teammate Dominique Wilkins.
Born in Wayne, Mich., Long went to Romulus High School, playing with younger cousin and future NBA player Terry Mills and was recruited by about every school under the sun. He actually was headed to play with Malone in 1984 at Louisiana Tech but at the last moment was persuaded to stay instate by his uncle John Long, who at the time was playing for the Detroit Pistons.
Looking to play right away, Long went to Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti, a member of the Mid-American Conference. The best player to have played for the Eagles was George Gervin (1971-72) but the program needed a boost and Long gave it to them. During his junior year, he averaged 14.9 points and nine rebounds a game. But he then took the Eagles to their first NCAA tournament his senior season, earning the conference tournament MVP and player of the year honors, averaging 23 points and 10.4 rebounds.
Always a big fan of Magic Johnson who also come from his home state and played his college ball at Michigan State, Long felt that his success at Eastern Michigan would make him a first-round NBA pick. But he ended up being drafted eighth (33rd overall) in the second round by the expansion Miami Heat, which turned into a blessing.
Placed with a team that was trying to fill almost every roster spot, Long was able to play immediately, including all 82 games his rookie season. The Heat won just 15 games in their inaugural season but Long quickly turned into a productive player on both sides of the court, averaging 11.9 points and 6.7 rebounds in 29 minutes a game.
His reputation quickly grew for showing up every night and playing a complete game, especially on the boards. He also became known for his big goggles, a remedy for getting constantly poked in the eye.
In seven full seasons with the Heat, he played in 472 games but in 1994, the team was being readied to be sold and began dumping salaries. Along with guard Steve Smith, another Michigan native, Long was dealt to the Hawks for veteran Kevin Willis two games into the season.
Long joined a rebuilding Hawks team which would go to the playoffs in 1995 (losing to Indiana in first round). He made a strong all-around impact that first year, playing in all 79 regular season games he was with the team, averaging 11.7 points and 7.5 points a game. The next season, the Hawks made it to the second round, losing to Orlando but Long has perhaps the best year of his career with 9.6 rebounds a game and 13.1 points, again playing in all 82 regular season games.
But after the 1996 season, the Hawks needed salary cap room to make long-term investments in Smith and Dikembe Mutombo. They gave Smith $48 million and $56 million to Mutombo and Long, along with guard Stacey Augmon, was sent to Detroit for four draft picks.
He spent two miserable years with the Pistons, feuding with coach Doug Collins as his minutes dropped. He would come back to Atlanta for the lockout-shorted season of 1998-99, when the Hawks beat the Pistons in the first round of the playoffs. But his second stint in Atlanta was short. He was moved to Vancouver, spending two years in Canada before one year in Memphis and his final season in Boston.
Headed into the 2003-04 season, the Philadelphia 76ers called him about coming back and playing one more year. But he was told he would have to make the team. Long opted to retire and has since gone into broadcasting.
Where he lives: Long, 49, lives in Detroit with his wife of 26 years, Nikki. He has four children.
What he does now: Long is a broadcaster for the Pistons for Fox Sports Detroit and is also a popular public speaker.
On going to Eastern Michigan: "I could have pretty much gone anywhere and the reason I wanted to get out of the state of Michigan was I noticed that a lot of kids that went to Michigan schools came back home to watch their high schools play and would end up staying at home and missing class. I wanted to get out. But my uncle (John Long) told me imagine if I go play in the state of Louisiana and Mr. Basketball from that state was on my team … Who did you think the coach was going to play? I thought that made a lot of sense.''
On not being a first-round NBA pick: I was disgruntled. I had led my school to their first NCAA tournament and was the MAC player of the year and the guy (Dan Majerle at Central Michigan) behind me in the league gets picked in the first round (14th to Phoenix). But it worked out great going to an expansion team instead of one that only had a few spots on the team that were available. At Miami, they needed seven or eight players for the team and there was no big-time pressure to beat anyone out.''
On playing with the expansion Heat: "It was great. I think I led the rookies in the league in minutes played. The key was I was on the floor''
On being traded to Atlanta: "It is a great story. We were getting on a plane about to go to a game out of town and Steve Smith and I are told we are going to be traded. So we are sitting there on our luggage on the tarmac talking to our agents. It was going to be either New York or Atlanta and I had planned on moving to Atlanta in the offseason. Interestingly, we had played Atlanta in the playoffs just a few months before and we got into this big fight with them and it was total mayhem on the court. I remember my assistant coach jumping on my back and flinging him off of me and he broke his arm. Now fast-forward a few months, Steve and I were going to Atlanta. ''
On playing for the Hawks: "I got to play for Lenny Wilkens and he was perfect for me. He was one of the coaches that expected you do certain things. He always treated you like a professional and a lot of young players didn't understand that. They did better with a coach that constantly drove them, But that was not Lenny. He expected you to watch what you ate, to stay in shape, to get sleep and so on. I remember Lenny going to Toronto to coach and Vince Carter asking me about him. He had a little tougher time with Lenny. It was great being on the team when Lenny broke Red Auerbach's record for wins.''
On the toughest player he faced: "It was always Charles Barkley. He was a superstar but didn't have the attitude. He worked really hard. I prided myself on how hard I worked and said no one was going to outwork me … never. But he was a challenge. He never gave up on plays.''
On regularly facing Dennis Rodman: "I loved his energy. Whenever I went against him, I would go wherever he went. We would fight over every rebound. I don't think he ever had one of those really outrageous games again me. Dennis would always get under the skin of Alonzo Mourning and Karl Malone but he never got to me.''
On retiring: "After I played that season in Boston, Philadelphia and coach Larry Brown called and wanted to know if I would come to camp and try to make the team. I told Larry, 'You have seen how I have played for years and I am always in shape.' I didn't want to go and then get cut. I had an opportunity in television and took it. I think I could have played two more years but today I am happy with that decision.''
On playing with goggles: "I played with reckless abandon and I was always going for loose balls and kept getting hit in the eyes. Then I started going for balls and closing my eyes and said, 'This isn't going to work.' So I started seeing gray spots one time and went to the doctor and he said, 'Why not try goggles?' Of course, I got the same kind that Kareem wore and realized what I had been missing.''
On one memorable game early in his career against the Hawks: "I scored 30 points for the first time in my career and it came against Atlanta. And Dominique (Wilkins) came up to me after the game and put his arm around my shoulder and said, 'You are going to have a great career in this league.' That meant a lot.''
On another memorable game in 1991: "I remember when President Bush announced Desert Storm and we were in Cleveland that night about to play the Cavs. We were a bunch of young guys and didn't have any idea what to think. We were so nervous about the state of our world and basketball was the furthest thing from my mind. I think we got beat by 68 points. (Actually, the Heat lost by 14.)''
