Shawn Dennis on Whether Too Many Foreign Coaches Are Hurting the NBL, Plus Japanese Stars Who Belong in the NBL and Aussies Who Should Be Playing in Japan
November 13, 2024
Shawn Long
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 29/01/93
- Place of Birth: Morgan City, Louisiana (USA)
- Position: F/C
- Height (CM): 209
- Weight (KG): 114
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Louisiana (2012–2016)
- NBL DEBUT: 11/10/18
- AGE AT DEBUT: 25
- LAST NBL GAME: 5/03/20
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 27
- NBL History: New Zealand 2019 | Melbourne 2020
- Championships: 0
- None
NICKNAME/S: Mr Double Double
BIO: Shawn Long was born in Morgan City, Louisiana (USA) and attended Morgan City High School under coach Jeremy Whittington. As a senior, he averaged 21.4 points, 15.2 rebounds, and 9.1 blocks, helping team to a 26-5 record.
He was named district MVP, earned first team all-district honours for two straight year and was the district defensive player of the year as a senior.
Attended the University of Louisiana (2012-2016) and was Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year in 2016.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Shawn Long made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 25 years of age. He scored 10 points in his first game.
In February 2018, a consortium headed by former NBA player Matt Walsh took over as majority shareholders, ending the 13-year ownership of Liz and Paul Blackwell. This marked the beginning of a new era for the Breakers. The off-season saw the departure of several franchise stalwarts, including coach Paul Henare (free agent), all-time leading scorer Kirk Penney (retired), and key players like Mika Vukona (to Brisbane), Alex Pledger (to Melbourne), and Rob Loe (to Cairns). Thomas Abercrombie stepped into the captaincy role, while former player Kevin Braswell was brought in as the new head coach to rebuild the squad. To bolster the team, New Zealand brought back Tai Wesley (via Melbourne), Corey Webster (via Europe), and Jarrad Weeks (via Cairns). They also added imports Patrick Richard, Armani Moore, and Shawn Long.
The Breakers headed to the USA and faced the Phoenix Suns in a preseason NBLxNBA exhibition game to start their season. Despite being heavy underdogs, New Zealand pushed the Suns to the limit, making a late surge to cut the lead to four in the final minute before falling just short in a 91–86 loss. Corey Webster (27 points and 7 assists) and Tai Wesley (15 points and 7 rebounds) led the Breakers offensively. Phoenix, who were without star Devin Booker, relied on Deandre Ayton (21 points and 15 rebounds) and Trevor Ariza (16 points and 6 assists).
New Zealand began the season slowly, struggling to find consistency and managing just four wins in their first 12 games. Their struggles were highlighted by a five-game losing streak from late November to early December, including close defeats to Perth (91–86) and Sydney (71–70). New Zealand found some form after mid-season, putting together back-to-back wins against Brisbane (109–96) and Cairns (113–106) in January.
New Zealand’s lacklustre season was also due to several key players not delivering as expected. Corey Webster (10.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists), who was once a premier scorer in the league, had his worst statistical season in five years. Thomas Abercrombie (8.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists) and Shea Ili (7.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists) both saw a decline from last season, while imports Patrick Richard (11.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists) and Armani Moore (7.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) weren’t able to deliver the numbers expected either.
The Breakers finished the season with a 12-16 record, ending in sixth place and missing the playoffs.
Shawn Long (18.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) became the Breakers’ primary target on offense and their most potent weapon on defense. His best games included a 33-point, 3-rebound, and 1-assist performance against Perth (6 Jan 2019), where he also recorded 1 block and shot 12 of 18 from the field, including 3 three-pointers. Long followed up with another dominant display, posting 32 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks against Cairns (24 Jan 2019). He rounded out his top games with a 28-point, 11-rebound, and 6-assist game against Melbourne (3 Feb 2019), where he added 1 steal and 1 block to his stat line. Long’s efforts earned him a place on the All-NBL Second Team as well as the Breakers Club MVP.
Bright spots for the Breakers this season included the return of Tai Wesley (14.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists) and Jarrad Weeks (10.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists), who delivered the best season of his career, finishing runner-up for both the Best Sixth Man and Most Improved Player awards.
2019/20
Melbourne United began the season with a complete rehaul of its roster. The team chose not to re-sign imports Casper Ware and Josh Boone, released Daniel Trist and lost young forward Craig Moller when he signed with Sydney as a free agent.
United then signed Jo Lual-Acuil, Shea Ili (who played under Dean Vickerman during his time at the Breakers) and Jack Purchase as the team’s development player. Vickerman then added import duo Melo Trimble from Cairns and Shawn Long via New Zealand, who were friends, having played together for the USA National Team. Rounded out the squad David Barlow, Alex Pledger, Tohi Smith-Milner and Casey Prather re-signed with the club.
After a season spent in Europe, Casey Prather would return to the club (two-year deal) as the team’s third import, but he Prather missed the first seven games of the season due to injury, question marks around his health and signing were raised. Once Prather (9.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.7 assists) managed to return to the court, his scoring was far below his career numbers. He managed to play in six games before undergoing another knee clean-out shortly after and was then ruled out for the rest of the season due to a right hamstring tear. United would sign former NBA talent Stanton Kidd (9.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.5 assists) as his injury replacement.
This resulted in United losing four of their first five games of the season, and with reports of a rift between players, a coach under pressure and frustrated supporters, the club looked utterly rattled. By late-November however, United sat third on the ladder (7-4) behind six consecutive wins and were the highest scoring team in the competition (99.7 points-per-game). Melo Trimble (19.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.2 steals) would lead United in scoring, alongside Long (18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks) and Captain Chris Goulding (17.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists).
Long finished the season averaging 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while Melbourne finished the season in fourth place (15-13) and face Sydney in the semifinals.
Long (23 points, 10 rebounds, and 1 block) controlled the inside while Trimble (34 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals) came off the bench to finish as the game’s leading scorer. It wasn’t enough however, with United losing game one (80-86) with Xavier Cooks (21 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists) and Jae’Sean Tate (19 points and 5 rebounds) doing most of the damage for the Kings.
They returned to Melbourne for game two where United would even the series, thanks to a combined effort from their import trio, with Long (26 points and 11 rebounds), Trimble (21 points and 2 steals) and Kidd (18 points and 4 rebounds) all delivering when it counted. Tate (18 points and 6 rebounds) kept the scoreboard ticking over for Sydney but the damage was done during the second quarter, where United outscored the Kings 32-7, a lead that allowed them to win by 45 points at full-time (125-80). The series decider was played at Qudos Bank Arena in a game that came down to the final seconds. Goulding (19 points and 3 assists) led Melbourne in scoring, but Tate (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists) and the Kings were able to come away with a two-point win and proceed to the Grand Final, ending United’s season.
Shawn Long played two seasons in the NBL, playing for both the New Zealand Breakers and the Melbourne United. He averaged 18.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 59 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 27 | Melbourne | 15-13 (4) | 31 | 819.8 | 575 | 294 | 33 | 114 | 180 | 30 | 35 | 54 | 82 | 225 | 419 | 54% | 21 | 64 | 33% | 104 | 150 | 69% | 59% | 56% | 34 |
| 2018-19 | 26 | New Zealand | 12-16 (6) | 28 | 762.9 | 512 | 255 | 37 | 101 | 154 | 19 | 43 | 42 | 85 | 195 | 351 | 56% | 21 | 54 | 39% | 101 | 143 | 71% | 61% | 59% | 33 | Totals | 59 | 1583 | 1087 | 549 | 70 | 215 | 334 | 49 | 78 | 96 | 167 | 420 | 770 | 54.5% | 42 | 118 | 35.6% | 205 | 293 | 70.0% | 60% | 57% | 34 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 27 | Melbourne | 15-13 (4) | 31 | 26.4 | 18.5 | 9.5 | 1.1 | 3.7 | 5.8 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 7.3 | 13.5 | 54% | 0.7 | 2.1 | 33% | 3.4 | 4.8 | 69% | 59% | 56% | 34 |
| 2018-19 | 26 | New Zealand | 12-16 (6) | 28 | 27.2 | 18.3 | 9.1 | 1.3 | 3.6 | 5.5 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 7.0 | 12.5 | 56% | 0.8 | 1.9 | 39% | 3.6 | 5.1 | 71% | 61% | 59% | 33 | Total | 59 | 26.8 | 18.4 | 9.3 | 1.2 | 3.6 | 5.7 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 7.1 | 13.1 | 54.5% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35.6% | 0.7 | 2.0 | 70.0% | 60% | 57% | 34 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 34 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
|---|
FIBA EXPERIENCE
Long represented the United States national team at the 2015 Pan American Games, where he won a bronze medal alongside former NBL teammate Scott Machado.
NBA EXPERIENCE
Long played 18 games in the NBA. He averaged 8.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game over his NBA career.
NBA TRANSACTIONS:
- July 7, 2016: Signed a multi-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers
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October 24, 2016: Waived by the Philadelphia 76ers.
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March 6, 2017: Signed a 10-day contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.
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March 16, 2017: Signed a multi-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers
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June 28, 2017: Traded by the Philadelphia 76ers to the Houston Rockets for $100K cash.
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September 26, 2017: Waived by the Houston Rockets.
| Season | Team | PTS | AST | STL | BLK | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 91% | 62% | 75% | 96% | ||||||
| 2 | 0 | 34 | 6 | 4 | 5 | ||||||
| Total | 420 | 770 | 54.5% | 42 | 118 | 35.6% |
NBA TOTAL STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 24 | Philadelphia | C | 18 | 0 | 234 | 148 | 85 | 13 | 41 | 44 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 49 | 61 | 109 | 56% | 7 | 19 | 37% | 19 | 35 | 54% | 59% | 59% | Total | 18 | 0 | 234 | 148 | 85 | 13 | 41 | 44 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 49 | 61 | 109 | 56% | 7 | 19 | 37% | 19 | 35 | 54% |
NBA PER GAME STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 24 | Philadelphia | C | 18 | 0 | 13.0 | 8.2 | 4.7 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 6.1 | 56% | 0.4 | 1.1 | 37% | 1.1 | 1.9 | 54% | 59% | 59% | Total | 18 | 0 | 13.0 | 8.2 | 4.7 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 6.1 | 56% | 0.4 | 1.1 | 37% | 1.1 | 1.9 | 54% |
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- China - Xinjiang Flying Tigers (2017–2018), Guizhou Guwutang Tea (2019) | Japan - Levanga Hokkaido (2021–2023), Osaka Evessa (2023–2024) | South Korea - Hyundai Mobis Phoebus (2020–2021, 2024–2025), KCC Egis (2025–2026)
Long began his overseas club career in China when he signed a two-month deal with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association on October 10, 2017, and he left in mid-November after seven games while averaging 12.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per outing.
In May 2019, he had a one-game stint in China’s National Basketball League with Guizhou Guwutang Tea.
On June 16, 2020, Long signed with Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus in the Korean Basketball League, and in 2020–21 he averaged 21.3 points and 10.9 rebounds per game while leading the league in both scoring and rebounding, earning KBL foreign player MVP and Best 5 honours as Mobis reached the semifinals.
He moved to Japan for the 2021–22 B.League season with Levanga Hokkaido, and he finished his first year there as the B1 scoring champion after starting all 56 games and averaging 25.0 points and 10.6 rebounds, with the club also noting guard Ryoma Hashimoto among the league’s season award winners for his free-throw percentage.
Levanga re-signed Long for a second season in 2022–23, keeping him in Hokkaido after his scoring-title year.
Osaka Evessa announced Long’s signing on June 16, 2023, and in 2023–24 he appeared in all 60 regular-season games, averaging 19.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists, including stretches where he paired with Korean forward Lee Hyunjung to create a two-man scoring option.
On June 14, 2024, Hyundai Mobis brought him back for a second spell in the KBL, a return the club framed around his earlier MVP season and his sustained B.League scoring production.
Ahead of the 2025–26 KBL season, Busan KCC Egis announced Long as a foreign signing, joining the club alongside fellow import Dwan Hernandez.
COLLEGE
Shawn Long’s NCAA career was built almost entirely at Louisiana from 2012–13 through 2015–16 after he initially enrolled at Mississippi State University, left after his first semester without playing in a game, and transferred to Louisiana–Lafayette, where he received an NCAA waiver that allowed him to play immediately rather than sitting a full transfer year.
Long debuted for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball in 2012–13 and produced an immediate double-double impact, averaging 15.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game while earning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and Second-team All-Sun Belt honours, and he was also noted nationally as the only freshman in the country to average a double-double that season.
As a freshman in 2012–13, Louisiana’s official bio credited Long with 65 blocked shots while averaging 15.5 points and 10.2 rebounds, with additional honours including LSWA Freshman of the Year, third-team All-Louisiana, and team Rebounder of the Year recognition, while his season notes listed 18 double-doubles and nine 20-point games as part of a year in which he started all but one game and ranked among the Sun Belt leaders in rebounding and blocked shots.
Across 2013–14 and 2014–15, Long remained the Sun Belt’s dominant interior presence, posting double-double production again and earning First-team All-Sun Belt recognition in each season, while his Louisiana bio also credits him with sustained league leadership in rebounding and rim protection across those years.
In 2013–14, Louisiana’s official bio listed Long at 18.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game while producing 18 double-doubles, highlighted by a career-high 31 points at UT Arlington on February 6, 2014, a 30-point game on a school-record 12-for-12 shooting performance against Centenary on December 17, 2013, 19 points and 17 rebounds in the Sun Belt Tournament quarterfinals, and an NCAA Tournament appearance where he scored 15 points against Creighton, with additional awards that season including MVP of the EA Sports Maui on the Mainland after averaging 21.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks across two tournament wins.
In 2014–15, Long averaged 16.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game and was named first-team All-Sun Belt, with his Louisiana bio also listing him as a two-time Sun Belt Player of the Week and noting he led the league in rebounding while ranking among conference leaders in blocked shots, and his 2014–15 season included one of the program’s signature stat lines, logging 22 points and 22 rebounds against South Alabama on January 17, 2015, which Louisiana’s official bio identifies as the program’s first 20-point, 20-rebound game since 1981, and he added a season-high 27 points against Arkansas State on January 22, 2015 while shooting 10-for-11 from the field and 5-for-5 from three.
By the start of the 2015–16 campaign, Louisiana’s official bio listed Long as the NCAA active leader in double-doubles and total rebounds and among the national active leaders in rebound average and blocked shots, and the Sun Belt named him to its 2015–16 preseason all-conference first team heading into his senior year.
Long’s senior season included a 2,000-point career milestone on January 23, 2016 against Troy, when he finished with 20 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks and recorded his 64th career double-double, and his 2015–16 year ended with major individual recognition, including Sun Belt Player of the Year honours in 2016, and Louisiana’s record book credits him with 23 double-doubles in 2015–16, the top single-season total in the program’s listed records, alongside a school single-game scoring record entry of 34 points versus South Alabama in 2016.
Over his four years at Louisiana, the program record book lists Long as the school’s career leader in games started (131), places him second in career minutes played (4,017), credits him with a program-record 75 career double-doubles, and lists him with 273 career blocked shots, while award listings and conference releases also credited him as the Ragin’ Cajuns’ all-time leading rebounder and the Sun Belt Conference career rebounding leader with 1,447 rebounds, third in school history in scoring with 2,342 points, and an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America selection in 2016, with his 75 double-doubles also noted as the 12th-best total in NCAA history.
Long also received broader regional recognition during his Louisiana run, with published award listings crediting him as an NABC All-District selection multiple times during his career, including first-team district honours in later seasons and second-team district honours earlier in his tenure.
AWARDS
- 1x All-NBL Second Team- KBL Foreign MVP (2021)
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All-NBA D-League Second Team (2017)
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NBA D-League All-Star (2017)
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AP Honorable Mention All-American (2016)
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Sun Belt Player of the Year (2016)
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3× First-team All-Sun Belt (2014–2016)
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Second-team All-Sun Belt (2013)
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Sun Belt Freshman of the Year (2013)
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