Chicago Bulls: Unsung heroes from championship era
Toni Kukoc
The Bulls selected Toni Kukoc with the No. 29 overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, but he didn’t join the team until the 1993-94 campaign. Kukoc was considered one of the greatest international players prior to arrival in Chicago.
Although international players didn’t have the same presence in that era that they have in the league today, Kukoc showed right away that he belonged in the NBA. He averaged 10.9 points per contest in his inaugural season en route to earning an All-Rookie Second Team selection.
Not only that, but Kukoc had three game-winning shots that season, and Bulls fans won’t forget this memorable moment from Game 3 of the 1994 eastern conference semifinals against the New York Knicks.
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Tied at 102 with 1.8 seconds left in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks, Toni Kukoc hit the game-winner, a 23-foot fadeaway jumper at the buzzer on this day in 1994 👀🚨 pic.twitter.com/9P3ioZgXGN
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) May 13, 2019
But if you thought Kukoc’s rookie season was an aberration, you’d be mistaken. During the Bulls’ 72-win season in 1995-96, Kukoc won the Sixth Man of the Year award on the heels of a season in which he averaged 13.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest on slash lines of .490/.403/.772. In Chicago’s 4-2 series win over the Sonics, Kukoc posted averages of 13.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.
Although Kukoc didn’t fare too well against the Jazz in the 1997 Finals — failing to reach double figures in any of the six games — he showed up once again in 1998 Finals series against the Jazz. In Game 5, Kukoc led the Bulls with 30 points on a sizzling 11-for-13 shooting from the field. Sure, the Bulls went on to lose that game 83-81. If not for Kukoc, though, that game isn’t even close.
With Scottie Pippen nursing an ailing back in Game 6, Kukoc stepped up once again and was the only Bulls player to score in double figures aside from Jordan. He contributed 15 points to go along with three rebounds and four assists. Kukoc may have not been a lockdown defender or a great rebounder, but he brought a lot of intangibles to the table and he was matchup nightmare due to his versatile offensive skill-set.