101 Greats of European Basketball

Before Buenos Aires, Jugoplastika repeated the
double crown with the Yugoslav League and the EuroLeague
titles – the latter against FC Barcelona in the final
in Zaragoza by the score of 72-67, with 20 points from
Kukoc. The same thing would happen again in 1991
even though Dino Radja, Dusko Ivanovic and coach
Boza Maljkovic were no longer with the team. However,
the genius Kukoc stayed and was backed by Velimir Perasovic,
Zoran Savic, Luka Pavicevic, Zan Tabak, Zoran
Sretenovic, Aramis Naglic and Petar Naumoski. At the
Paris Final Four the victim was, once more, FC Barcelona,
in a 70-65 Jugoplastika win with 14 points from
Kukoc – and with Maljkovic coaching Barça.
In his last three Yugoslav League seasons, Kukoc’s
numbers were almost identical: 411 points (11.6 average)
in 1988-89; 413 (18.7) in 1989-90 and 438 (19.9) in 1990-
91. But more than his points, he was admired by everything
he displayed on the court. If I had to choose only
one word to describe his game, I would say “elegance”.
He made everything seem so easy, so natural. Like there
was nothing easier than scoring a basket, pulling down a
rebound or dishing an assist. Because of his basketball
genius, his moves with the ball, his long hands and his thin
body, he earned the nickname of Pink Panther. We can also
thank him for a great basketball quote: “A basket makes
one man happy while an assist makes two men happy.”
In the summer of 1991, Kukoc had a problem with
his future. The Chicago Bulls – who had chosen him with
the 29th pick in the NBA Draft – and Benetton Treviso,
coached by Split legend Petar Skansi, were knocking on
his door. Kukoc went to Italy, so the NBA could wait. In
two years in Italy, he won a league title and a cup title
playing a total of 68 games with averages of 19.8 points,
6.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists. After so many successful
years, Kukoc had a great disappointment at the 1993
Final Four in Athens. Benetton was the favorite to win
against Boza Maljkovic’s Limoges, but the Italian team
– could not defeat the French team, with Michael Young
and Jure Zdovc, losing 59-55.
Triumph in the NBA
Before leaving for the NBA, Kukoc was part of the
Croatian “Dream Team” with Drazen Petrovic, Dino
Radja, Stojan Vrankovic, Danko Cvjeticanin, Velimir Perasovic,
Arijan Komazec and company at the 1992 Olympics
in Barcelona. Kukoc would add a new silver medal
to his already impressive collection. His numbers were
11.5 points, 3.1 boards and 6.0 assists. He would win
more medals with Croatia: bronze at the 1994 World
Cup and 1995 EuroBasket. But his true triumphs after
that would come in the NBA. He got there right when
Michael Jordan retired, but since the legend was back
two years later, Toni could fulfill his dream of playing
alongside the best. Kukoc is a proud owner of three
NBA championship rings from 1996, 1997 and 1998.
We know almost everything about his NBA career.
In 15 years playing in Chicago (7 seasons), Philadelphia
(2), Atlanta (2) and Milwaukee (4) he played 846 games,
scored 9,810 points (11.6), grabbed 3,550 rebounds
(4.2) and dished 3,118 assists (3.7). Until Dirk Nowitzki,
Kukoc was the most relevant European player in the
NBA. One detail explains it all: on May 13, 1994, in the
third game of the Eastern Conference Finals against the
New York Knicks, with the score tied 102-102 and 1.8
seconds to go, coach Phil Jackson designed a play in
the timeout for Toni Kukoc. Afterward, Scottie Pippen
remained on the bench mad at the coach and refused
Jackson’s orders to get back on the court. Jackson insisted
on the play and Kukoc scored the basket to give
Chicago the victory. A true champion.
101 greats of european basketball
Toni Kukoc
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