Toni Kukoc

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Kukoč's path to NBA stardom began in Split, Croatia, where he excelled in table tennis before switching to basketball at age 17 with KK Jugoplastika. There, he won three consecutive EuroLeagues (1989–1991) and two Triple Crowns, earning EuroLeague Final Four MVP honors twice. In 1991, he signed a $23 million deal with Benetton Treviso, winning the Italian League in 1992 and the Italian Cup in 1993 while securing another EuroLeague Final Four MVP. Drafted by the Bulls in 1990, he reported to Chicago in November 1993 after Jordan's first retirement. During the 1995–96 season, Kukoč embraced a bench role behind Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant, finishing third on the team in scoring behind Jordan and Pippen. His leadership off the bench helped the Bulls achieve a historic 72–10 record and win the championship. He became only the fourth player in history to win both the Sixth Man of the Year Award and an NBA title in the same season.

In Their Own Story

On January 21, 1994, with just 0.8 seconds left against the Indiana Pacers, Reggie Miller gave the Pacers a 95–93 lead. Scottie Pippen inbounded to Kukoč, who hit a three-point jumper at the buzzer for a 96–95 victory. Later that season, in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks, the game was tied 102 with 1.8 seconds remaining. Coach Phil Jackson designed the final play for Kukoč, enraging Pippen, who refused to leave the bench until after the timeout. Kukoč hit a 23-foot fadeaway jumper at the buzzer to win the game, though the Bulls eventually lost the series in seven games. In the 1997 NBA Finals against Utah, Kukoč sealed Game 6 with a dunk off a Scottie Pippen pass with 0.6 seconds left, making the score 90–86. By the 1998 postseason, he had moved into the starting lineup for all six games of the Finals as the Bulls defeated the Jazz again.

Reader's Guide

Kukoč's versatility allowed him to play small forward, power forward, and even point guard duties due to his court vision and outside shooting touch. He was a key component in Phil Jackson's triangle offense, often serving as the primary ball-handler when Jordan rested. In the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season, he led the Bulls in scoring, rebounding, and assists before being traded to Philadelphia on February 16, 2000. He later played for Atlanta and Milwaukee, where he averaged career-highs of 14.8 points and 2.2 steals per game during a 2003 playoff run. Kukoč announced his retirement in September 2006, expressing a desire to stay close to his Highland Park home if not signed by the Bulls or Bucks. He was elected to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

Did You Know?

• Kukoč and Vassilis Spanoulis are the only players in history to receive the EuroLeague Final Four MVP honor on three occasions.
• He won Olympic silver medals playing for Yugoslavia in 1988 and for Croatia in 1992.
• In 1994, Kukoč hit a game-winning three-pointer with 0.8 seconds remaining against the Indiana Pacers to secure a 96–95 victory.
• He was selected to the inaugural class of the Chicago Bulls' Ring of Honor in 2023.
• Kukoč won Croatia's national amateur golf championship in 2011 after undergoing hip replacement surgery in 2009.