Luc Longley enjoying the appreciation for his contributions to the Bulls' second "three-peat"

The big Australian is cherishing his time in the spotlight over in Australia.

© RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

The 1990s Chicago Bulls were a team defined and dominated by Michael Jordan. Anything and everything about those title-winning squads was all about Jordan. In fact, even the Bulls' role players were sometimes collectively called the "Jordanaires." If you were a part of those Bulls teams, it was almost impossible to stay out of Jordan's shadow.

And so, when the Netflix documentary "The Last Dance" came out in 2020, not much attention was paid to significant role players like Steve Kerr and even starting guard Ron Harper.

The team's starting center, Luc Longley, was even left out of the entire thing. Longley's exclusion—which Jordan later regretted—drew criticism in the big man's home country of Australia, eventually leading to ABC producing a two-part documentary about the life and times of the 7-footer. Longley is a man who values his privacy, especially after his playing years concluded, but at the same time, he's also come to embrace the celebration of what he accomplished during his time with the famed Bulls.

Longley jerseys finally available to fans

Speaking at the opening of the NBA Store in Melbourne, Longley was amazed to see his jersey available for purchase. Back in the day, he admitted that it was all about the Bulls' "Big 3" of Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman.

"This didn't happen - they were all Jordan, [Scott] Pippe, and [Dennis] Rodman [jerseys]- there were Longley jerseys but never a display or a shop window like this," Longley said. "I wish my kids could see this."

Luc didn't mind not getting the attention

Longley played for Chicago for five seasons and was a vital part of the second "three-peat" from 1995 to 1998. In that stretch, the 7-footer averaged 9.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game. Those are pretty solid numbers that didn't get as much of the limelight.

"When we were in the middle of it, it was just part of the landscape of being a Bull. I didn't take it for granted, but I didn't feel the same level of pride in it as I do now for whatever reason," said Longley.

"Thank you for leaving me out of the Netflix doco because this wouldn't have happened if they had put me in it. I don't know what you call it. A midlife renaissance? It's just cool that era, and my contribution is being remembered," he added.