Toni Kukoc was one of the new entrants to the Hall of Fame on Saturday in Springfield. The Croatian, passed down for posterity for taking part in the Chicago Bulls’ second Three-Peat, hadn’t chosen just anyone to sponsor his entry into the Pantheon. Michael Jordan, his former teammate, was at his side for the occasion.
The Croatian, a fabulous player and forerunner for many Europeans afterwards, made a humble and funny speech when referring to MJ.
“I would like to thank this gentleman here and Scottie Pippen … for kicking my ass at the Olympics in 1992. Then for teaching me how to work hard during those great years at the Bulls.”
Magic recounts the day Jordan promised to turn off Kukoc
Toni Kukoc also thanked Jerry Reinsdorf, sitting next to Jordan, as well as Jerry Krause, Phil Jackson and Tex Winter. If he mentioned the famous 1992 Olympic Games, it is because Kukoc had undergone very special treatment there during the two meetings against the Dream Team, in the pool and then in the final.
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen had clearly marked their ground to rot his life and make him understand – to him and to the management of Chicago – that no gift would be given to him in the NBA. Here’s what Magic Johnson remembers about it:
“That morning I saw a look on Michael’s face that I hadn’t seen in previous encounters. When I got on the bus, I went to see him and said, ‘What ‘is there MJ?’ He said, ‘Look, today I’m serious.
I understood that someone was going to have problems during the game. He said: ‘I’m taking care of Toni Kukoc tonight. I’ll turn it off ‘. The whole bus is silent. ‘I’m going to show him that I can lock him in defense and he won’t score a single basket on me.’
In fact, Michael was preparing as if he was going to have to defend on one of us during the ‘NBA Finals. “
Dennis Rodman drove Toni Kukoc crazy on drunken night
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