Bulls

Toni Kukoc’s Hall of Fame Induction to Feature Michael Jordan and Jerry Reinsdorf as Co-Presenters

Toni Kukoc will have some familiar company awaiting him at his Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction in September.

by
Matt Berklan
August 12, 2021

Photo: ChicagoBulls/Twitter

In May, it was announced that 1990s Bulls star Toni Kukoc was going to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Marc Stein reported yesterday that 2009 Hall of Fame inductee Michael Jordan and 2010 inductee Jerry Reinsdorf will serve as co-presenters for Kukoc’s ceremony on September 11.

Michael Jordan and Jerry Reinsdorf will serve as co-presenters for Toni Kukoc when Kukoc is inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September, @Hoophall says.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 11, 2021

Kukoc, nicknamed the Croatian Sensation, came over from Europe and played a pivotal role in the Bulls’ second three-peat of the ’90s. His accomplishments include three NBA championships in addition to 1993-94 All-Rookie and 1995-96 Sixth Man honors. Kukoc also has three EuroLeague titles, two Olympic silver medals, and a FIBA World Championship MVP award as international accomplishments on his resume. He averaged 11.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game during his 13-year NBA career.

Per Game Table
Season	Age	Tm	Lg	Pos	G	GS	MP	FG	FGA	FG%	3P	3PA	3P%	2P	2PA	2P%	eFG%	FT	FTA	FT%	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
1990-91	22	Did Not Play (other pro league—Yugoslavia)
1991-92	23	Did Not Play (other pro league—Italy)
1992-93	24	Did Not Play (other pro league—Italy)
1993-94	25	CHI	NBA	SF	75	8	24.1	4.2	9.7	.431	0.4	1.6	.271	3.7	8.1	.462	.453	2.1	2.8	.743	1.3	2.7	4.0	3.4	1.1	0.4	2.2	1.6	10.9
1994-95	26	CHI	NBA	SF	81	55	31.9	6.0	11.9	.504	0.8	2.4	.313	5.2	9.5	.553	.536	2.9	3.9	.748	1.9	3.5	5.4	4.6	1.3	0.2	2.0	2.0	15.7
1995-96	27	CHI	NBA	SF	81	20	26.0	4.8	9.7	.490	1.1	2.7	.403	3.7	7.0	.524	.546	2.5	3.3	.772	1.4	2.6	4.0	3.5	0.8	0.3	1.4	1.9	13.1
1996-97	28	CHI	NBA	SF	57	15	28.2	5.0	10.6	.471	0.9	2.6	.331	4.1	8.0	.518	.512	2.4	3.1	.770	1.6	2.9	4.6	4.5	1.1	0.5	1.6	1.7	13.2
1997-98	29	CHI	NBA	SF	74	52	30.2	5.2	11.4	.455	0.9	2.4	.362	4.3	9.0	.480	.493	2.1	3.0	.708	1.6	2.8	4.4	4.2	1.0	0.5	2.1	2.0	13.3
1998-99	30	CHI	NBA	SF	44	44	37.6	7.2	17.0	.420	0.9	3.1	.285	6.3	13.9	.450	.446	3.6	4.9	.740	1.5	5.6	7.0	5.3	1.1	0.3	2.8	1.9	18.8
1999-00	31	TOT	NBA	SF	56	31	31.9	5.3	13.0	.408	0.8	3.0	.262	4.5	10.0	.452	.438	3.4	4.7	.725	1.3	3.5	4.9	4.7	1.4	0.5	2.6	2.0	14.8
1999-00	31	CHI	NBA	SF	24	23	36.2	6.2	16.2	.381	0.8	3.3	.231	5.4	12.9	.419	.405	4.9	6.5	.761	1.5	3.9	5.4	5.2	1.8	0.8	3.1	2.1	18.0
1999-00	31	PHI	NBA	SF	32	8	28.6	4.7	10.6	.438	0.8	2.8	.289	3.8	7.8	.492	.476	2.3	3.4	.673	1.2	3.3	4.5	4.4	1.0	0.3	2.2	1.9	12.4
2000-01	32	TOT	NBA	SF	65	19	24.6	4.2	9.0	.473	1.1	2.4	.446	3.2	6.5	.482	.533	1.6	2.5	.631	1.0	3.0	4.0	3.1	0.7	0.2	1.7	1.5	11.1
2000-01	32	PHI	NBA	SF	48	5	20.4	3.1	6.9	.458	0.7	1.6	.410	2.5	5.3	.472	.506	1.1	1.8	.591	1.0	2.4	3.4	1.9	0.7	0.1	1.3	1.3	8.0
2000-01	32	ATL	NBA	SF	17	14	36.4	7.3	14.8	.492	2.2	4.6	.481	5.1	10.2	.497	.567	2.9	4.2	.681	1.1	4.6	5.7	6.2	0.8	0.3	3.0	2.1	19.7
2001-02	33	ATL	NBA	SF	59	9	25.3	3.6	8.5	.419	0.9	2.9	.310	2.7	5.6	.474	.471	1.8	2.6	.712	0.7	3.0	3.7	3.6	0.8	0.3	1.9	1.5	9.9
2002-03	34	MIL	NBA	PF	63	0	27.0	4.0	9.2	.432	1.5	4.2	.361	2.4	5.0	.490	.514	2.2	3.1	.706	1.1	3.2	4.2	3.7	1.3	0.5	1.9	2.1	11.6
2003-04	35	MIL	NBA	PF	73	0	20.8	2.9	6.9	.417	0.7	2.3	.292	2.2	4.6	.479	.465	2.0	2.7	.729	0.8	2.9	3.7	2.7	0.8	0.3	1.5	1.5	8.4
2004-05	36	MIL	NBA	SF	53	6	20.7	2.0	4.8	.410	0.8	2.2	.362	1.2	2.6	.450	.492	0.8	1.2	.721	0.6	2.4	3.0	3.0	0.7	0.2	1.2	1.3	5.6
2005-06	37	MIL	NBA	PF	65	0	15.7	1.8	4.6	.389	0.7	2.3	.306	1.1	2.3	.470	.465	0.6	0.9	.714	0.4	1.9	2.3	2.1	0.5	0.3	1.0	1.3	4.9
Career			NBA		846	259	26.3	4.3	9.6	.447	0.9	2.6	.335	3.4	7.0	.488	.492	2.1	2.9	.729	1.2	3.0	4.2	3.7	1.0	0.3	1.8	1.7	11.6

7 seasons		CHI	NBA		436	217	29.5	5.3	11.6	.458	0.8	2.5	.327	4.5	9.2	.492	.492	2.7	3.6	.748	1.6	3.2	4.8	4.2	1.1	0.4	2.0	1.9	14.1
4 seasons		MIL	NBA		254	6	21.0	2.7	6.4	.416	0.9	2.7	.333	1.8	3.7	.477	.487	1.4	2.0	.718	0.7	2.6	3.3	2.9	0.8	0.3	1.4	1.6	7.7
2 seasons		PHI	NBA		80	13	23.7	3.8	8.4	.448	0.7	2.1	.345	3.0	6.3	.482	.491	1.6	2.5	.636	1.1	2.8	3.8	2.9	0.9	0.2	1.6	1.5	9.8
2 seasons		ATL	NBA		76	23	27.8	4.4	9.9	.443	1.2	3.3	.364	3.2	6.7	.482	.503	2.1	3.0	.702	0.8	3.3	4.1	4.2	0.8	0.3	2.2	1.7	12.1

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/12/2021.

Kukoc was one of the first players to come over from Europe immediately impact his team. “It wasn’t easy. At that time not much was known about the European players,” Kukoč said. “We were coming in there, I don’t want to say total enigmas, but the few games we played against the Dream Team, some folks saw us playing the Olympics or World Championships and that’s about it.

“I’m really, really happy that Jerry (Krause) stuck with that idea to bring me to the Bulls. Obviously, he had a world champion team there, but his idea of how I fit in that team was something of him talking me into coming over there. And then giving it a shot was the turning point for me. I decided to come over and everything else was pretty much recorded.”

Kukoc was known for annoying the opposition with his 6-foot-10 frame and his ability to run, pass, and shoot like a guard. He hit several clutch shots throughout his career. Kukoc was so important to the second three-peat, he even got his own segment in ESPN’s acclaimed Last Dance documentary.

Kukoc will join fellow ’90s era Bulls players Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman in addition to coaches Phil Jackson and Tex Winter, GM Jerry Krause, and owner Jerry Reinsdorf in the Hall of Fame.

Kukoc’s enshrinement ceremony will take place Saturday, September 11 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Notable members of the 2021 class include Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, Chris Webber, Yolanda Griffith, and Jay Wright.