Basketball On The Internet.

LUC Longley admits sometimes he needs to be mindful what he says to the media, such as when he described Golden State Warriors coach and former Chicago Bulls teammate Steve Kerr as a “cold-hearted bastard”.

Longley had been asked how he thought the backup shooting guard would fare in his role as an NBA head coach and used the description, even though he only meant Kerr would not be enveloped by the hype and BS that comes with the role.

Kerr knew it too and laughed it off, Longley with that familiar twinkle in his eye when he said it.

Remember, Kerr not only won three NBA championships in Longley’s 1996-98 Bulls teams which included MJ, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman but he also had further “Aussie insights” winning two additional championships with San Antonio, Andrew Gaze a member of the squad for one of those.

“We used to stay after practice and have a shooting game for our version of the Admiral’s Cup,” Kerr said of his association with the new Sydney Kings coach.

LONG AGO NOW: Luc Longley fires up a hook shot with those raging Bulls.

And, of course, he has been coaching laconic Melbourne-born centre Andrew Bogut for two years.

Mischievousness again got the better of Longley this season as Kerr’s Warriors approached the Bulls all-time regular season win-loss record of 72-10.

“I called Steve and said in the interests of his own legacy, he shouldn’t break our record,” Longley said.

“As a player, no-one was going to remember an unathletic little white guy so he needed to retain his legacy by being a part of our record (as a player). I mean, his coaching legacy is indisputable as the first rookie coach to win a championship.”

That call from Longley to  his old teammate to discuss this unique moment in basketball history and Kerr’s place in it was, quite clearly, a failed attempt to subvert the Warriors as they headed down the straight of their record 73-9 season.

Kerr enjoyed the banter, as always.

KERR ON SONG: Steve Kerr's legacy as a Bulls guard remains untarnished.

“He had a great line,” Kerr said of Longley’s call.

“He said: ‘You know, you haven’t thought this through obviously.’ And I said: ‘What do you mean?’

“And he said: ‘Your coaching legacy is already established. You won a championship, so people are going to know down the road that you were a good coach. But as a player, you were mediocre at best. So if you break this record and you don’t have that record as a player, nobody’s ever going to remember you as a player, so what are you thinking?’

“And I said: ‘Are you talking about you or me, Luc?’

“He said: ‘Both’.”

Longley admitted he had barracked for Golden State to win the 2014-15 NBA championship but this time would be happy to see Matthew Dellavedova secure his own history with Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Last year it was a lot easier for me,” Longley said.

“I know what Bogut had gone through for 12 years, he’s a fellow (7-)footer and my mate Steve was the coach.”

Regardless of who does win this series, Australia again will boast an NBA champion for the third successive season.

It did that in 1996-97-98 when Longley won three with Chicago. In 2014, Patty Mills and Aron Baynes won with San Antonio and last year Bogut won with GSW.

Maybe it is Delly’s turn. Or Bogey's again.

FOR more on Luc Longley’s thoughts ahead of the NBA championship, head to News Corp websites such as www.adelaide.now.com.au/sport/basketball

FUN FACTS ahead of the NBA Championship

*Rival Aussies Andrew Bogut and Matthew Dellavedova are both Victorians.
*They both went through the AIS and on to college careers in the US.
*Bogut at University of Utah and Dellavedova at St Mary’s College both made such profound impacts the schools retired their playing number.
*Bogut wore #4 at Utah. Dellavedova wore #4 at St Mary’s.
*Anderson Varejao has won a 2015-16 NBA championship ring before the opening tip. Having played 31 games for Cleveland before being traded to Golden State, he qualifies to collect a ring if the Cavs win. He also gets one if the Warriors win.