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.