WHEN all hell broke loose Luc Longley looked down to the smaller Australian assistant coaches on the bench beside him and thought, ‘Hey, I am the best man for the job’.

Longley then barged his huge frame through a scrum of chaos to save Australian Chris Goulding, who was being violently pummeled by at least eight Filipinos. It’s not ridiculous to say Longley may have saved his life.

Longley’s heroics continued in front of the cameras, when he told it like it is, in the aftermath of the ugly basketball brawl.

Longley slammed the disturbing actions of the Philippines’ coach Chot Reyes who he said incited the violence and his team for taking “gangster” selfies just moments after the fight. Luc, the legend, spoke from the heart.

And for this?

Longley was told by Basketball Australia to “shut up”.

Those close to the former Chicago Bull say Basketball Australia “strongly reprimanded” him for speaking out and breaking the party line.

The same hero who “didn’t want to hurt anyone” and used his “big body” push the Filipinos away to save Goulding.

The top brass at BA told Longley he had done the wrong thing by speaking his truth, that is, giving us an insight, explaining he believed the Reyes had instructed his men to “thug us”. Longley also said the Philippines’ coach wouldn’t look him in the eye after the fight as they shook hands.

Whoever was on the other end of the line to Longley that day, after he gave that raw press conference at Brisbane Airport, needs to lose the need for spin and just let life play out.

To be annoyed the humble giant had broken the party line and not dished up some controlled, sterile Basketball Australia-sanctioned line about investigations is a sad indictment on the administration.

In an increasingly controlled and boring sporting landscape Longley’s honesty was more than refreshing. Hearing the absolute truth after an incredible event was what we all wanted and what we deserved. We wanted it straight; they were thugs.

It was amazing to watch the Australian bench show immense restraint to not run out and defend their players being attacked. If they had, who knows what would have eventuated.

If you look at history, it’s no surprise Longley’s was one of the first to break protocol and throw himself into the fracas.

Longley’s best years were with the Chicago Bulls, where he trained alongside Michael Jordan, not only the game’s greatest ever player but a supreme aggressor. Jordan was legendary for getting in the face of his teammates. Steve Kerr, who is now Golden State’s coach, ended up in a punch up with Jordan at a Bulls training camp in 1995. Kerr later reflected that he thought that in an “actual fight” Jordan could “probably kill me if he wanted to”. It was Kerr who wound up with a black eye after that altercation.

Jordan’s ruthless intensity, Longley has admitted in the past brought out the best in him and he has great respect for him.

So after witnessing altercations between the superstars at Bulls training, having had Jordan in his own face, Longley was the calm, steady force in the heat of the basket-brawl.

No-one bothered to even throw a punch at Longley as he waded through to rescue Goulding. As he went to help the player known as ‘Bubbles’ Longley felt ill, fearing the worst because he could see he wasn’t even moving. With chairs flying, fists thrown, thankfully Longley could get to him.

Before this Longley was a hero already.

He basically put Australian basketball on the map in the 1990s as part of the Bulls, where he won three titles.

He’s a relaxed and humble character. When journalists try to contact him, his wife will often answer the phone and tell you he’s “gone fishing”. For three days.

It’s no surprise then that Longley is not at all fussed by BA’s disapproval and blow up that he broke the “party line”.

You know what did Longley did next when he was told to “shut up” by a BA official. He didn’t.

“Bugger it, I am going to say what I think,” is how he puts it.

After his dressing down from BA, the next thing he did was to go out of his way and call Telegraph reporter Matt Logue and he told him more. He defended Boomer Thon Maker.

“I think what Thon demonstrated was an absolute willingness to back up his teammates when the shit hit the fan.”

Bless Luc Longley.

Since the brawl he’s been getting phone calls from families and friends praising him. They’ve all been telling him he’s a hero.

His response?

“I am not a hero … I just did what had to be done.”