Toni Kukoc had a tough welcome to the NBA with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen ready to rib him even before he made his debut in the league. The duo notably torched Kukoc and his native Croatia during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, months prior to him suiting up in a Chicago Bulls uniform.
Yet the European marksman enjoyed a unique relationship with Pippen, who helped acclimate him to his new venture:
“I love Scottie,” Kukoc told ESPN's Zach Lowe. “The guy that helped me the most those first two years was Scottie. He is so easy to play with. I never really felt [the criticism] was mean. I felt like he was trying to point me in the right direction.”
The Bulls had two stars in Jordan and Pippen, but Kukoc was a trusty shooter Phil Jackson used at the right times.
Pippen infamously refused to play the final seconds of Game 3 in the 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals after Jackson drew up the last shot for Kukoc instead of Pippen. That incident doesn't make Kukoc think any less of Pippen:
“It's just something that happened,” said Kukoc. “Everyone has an ego. Even someone that doesn't play one minute has an ego. I don't take anything away from [Pippen] for that.”
Kukoc made the shot, along with many other clutch jumpers that season. He averaged 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while connecting on 40.3% of his triples.
Kukoc then won Sixth Man of the Year during the 1995-96 season in which the Bulls went 72-10, staking an undisputed claim as the best team ever for 20 years.
While Kukoc hasn't seen much action in “The Last Dance” just yet, expect to see more of this relationship in future episodes.
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