Toni Kukoč, nicknamed ''“The Waiter”'' (; born September 18, 1968) is a Croatian-American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player who serves as Special Advisor to

Jerry Reinsdorf Jerry Michael Reinsdorf (born February 25, 1936) is the owner of the NBA's Chicago Bulls and MLB's Chicago White Sox. He started his professional life as a tax attorney with the Internal Revenue Service. He has been the owner of the White So ...

, the owner of the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...

. After a highly successful period in European basketball, he was one of the first established European stars to play in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...

(NBA). Kukoč played for four NBA teams between 1993 and 2006, winning the

NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Sixth Man of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the league's best performing player for his team coming off the bench as a substit ...

in 1996. He is a three-time NBA champion, having won championships with the

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...

-led Chicago Bulls in 1996, 1997, and 1998. Kukoč is renowned for his versatility and passing ability. Although his natural position was

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers but taller, larger, and stronge ...

, the Kukoč played multiple positions and demonstrated court vision and an outside shooting touch that were seldom found in players of his height. He also enjoyed success in international play, winning Olympic silver medals in 1988 (playing for Yugoslavia) and 1992 (playing for Croatia). Kukoč and Vassilis Spanoulis are the only players in history to receive the

EuroLeague Final Four MVP The EuroLeague Final Four Most Valuable Player Award is presented and awarded to the basketball player who has exhibited the most exceptional play during the EuroLeague Final Four. The award often goes to the best player on the European-wide top ...

honor on three occasions. He was elected to the

FIBA Hall of Fame The FIBA Hall of Fame, or FIBA Basketball Hall of Fame, honors players, coaches, teams, referees, and administrators who have greatly contributed to international competitive basketball. It was established by FIBA, in 1991. It includes the " Samar ...

in 2017 and the

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...

in 2021.

Early life

Kukoč grew up as a youth in

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, entertai ...

, Croatia. His father was devoted to athletics, having played

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

as a

goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting ...

in a lower ranked local club. Possessing excellent

motor skill A motor skill is a function that involves specific movements of the body's muscles to perform a certain task. These tasks could include walking, running, or riding a bike. In order to perform this skill, the body's nervous system, muscles, and br ...

s, young Toni grew up participating in different sports, including

table tennis Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...

and football. He especially excelled in table tennis as an adolescent, winning different youth category titles. He soon switched to basketball as his sport of choice.

Professional career

Europe

Kukoč began playing for his home town club,

KK Jugoplastika Košarkaški klub Split ( en, Split Basketball Club), commonly referred to as KK Split or simply Split, is a men's professional basketball club based in Split, Croatia. The club competes in the ABA League and the Croatian League. History The ...

, at the age of 17. He achieved significant success during his time with the club, winning the prestigious EuroLeague as the team recorded three winning year seasons consecutively (1989–1991). His team won the

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Tri ...

in 1990 and 1991. Kukoč was awarded as the

both times. Afterwards, he played for Benetton Treviso and won the

Italian League The Italic League or Most Holy League was an international agreement concluded in Venice on 30 August 1454, between the Papal States, the Republic of Venice, the Duchy of Milan, the Republic of Florence, and the Kingdom of Naples, following the T ...

championship in 1992 and the

Italian Cup Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional It ...

in 1993. He also played in the EuroLeague final in 1993, winning the

once again. He was nicknamed "the White Magic", "the Spider from Split", "the Pink Panther", "the Waiter", "Euro Magic", and "the Croatian Sensation". Throughout the 1990s, he won several European Basketball Player of the Year Awards.

Chicago Bulls

After being drafted by the NBA's

in 1990, Kukoč continued to play in Europe, until finally reporting to the Bulls in

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...

, when the team had just finished its first three-peat and had lost

to retirement. Although disappointed that he could not play with Jordan, Kukoč made his NBA debut on November 5, 1993. The Kukoč came off the bench in 1993–94 behind

Scottie Pippen and

power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to centers. When on offense, they typically play with their ba ...

Horace Grant Horace Junior Grant Sr. (born July 4, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for Michael Reinsdorf, the president and chief operating officer of the Chicago Bulls. He attended and played college baske ...

. On January 21, 1994, in a game against the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first estab ...

Reggie Miller Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Indiana Pacers. Miller was known for his precision three-p ...

made a mid-range jumper with 0.8 seconds remaining to give the Pacers a 95-93 lead. Scottie Pippen inbounded the ball to Kukoc, who hit a three-point jumper at the buzzer to give the Bulls the win, 96-95. Kukoč put up a solid rookie season, averaging double-digit scoring and earning a berth on the

NBA All-Rookie Second Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for playe ...

. On May 13, 1994, at the end of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Bulls and the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

were tied at 102 with 1.8 seconds left. Bulls coach

Phil Jackson Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive. A power forward, Jackson played 12 seasons in the NBA, winning NBA championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 a ...

designed the last play for Kukoč, with Scottie Pippen charged with inbounding the basketball. Pippen was so angered by Jackson's decision to not let him take the potential game-winner that he refused to leave the bench and re-enter the game when the timeout was over. Kukoč did hit the game-winner, a 23-foot fadeaway jumper at the buzzer, though the Bulls eventually lost the series in seven games. After Grant left in the offseason, Kukoč moved into the starting lineup and finished the 1994–95 season second on the Bulls in scoring, rebounds and assists, behind Pippen. Furthermore, Michael Jordan would return to the Bulls in March, fulfilling Kukoč's wish to play alongside him. For the 1995–96 season, the Bulls were bolstered by both Jordan's return to full form and the offseason acquisition of exceptional rebounder

Dennis Rodman Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. Known for his fierce defensive and rebounding abilities, his biography on the official NBA website states that he is "arguably the best reboundin ...

. With Pippen still at small forward, coach

saw it best to have Kukoč continue to be a bench player. Kukoč was third on the team in scoring (behind Jordan and Pippen) and was rewarded for his efforts with the

. He also assisted the Bulls to a 25-game turnaround and the best record in league history at the time at 72–10 (later surpassed by the 2015–16 Golden State Warriors), as well as the fourth championship in team history. Kukoč was the 4th and is currently the last player to win the

and the NBA title in the same year having joined Kevin McHale,

Bill Walton William Theodore Walton III (born November 5, 1952) is an American television sportscaster and former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for coach John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins, winning three consecutive national ...

, and Bobby Jones in accomplishing that feat. In

1997 NBA Finals The 1997 NBA Finals was the concluding series of the 1997 NBA playoffs that determined the champion of the 1996–97 NBA season. The Western Conference champion Utah Jazz took on the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chi ...

, the Bulls defeated the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

in six games, during which at the end of Game 6, Kukoč received the ball from Scottie Pippen and sealed the victory with a dunk to make the score 90–86 with just 0.6 seconds left. A year later, the Bulls defeated the Jazz again in the

1998 NBA Finals The 1998 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1998 playoffs of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the conclusion of the 1997–98 NBA season. The two-time defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls ...

. In both series, Kukoč came off the bench as the sixth man, and was the team's leading scorer off the bench.

Career ending and retirement

During the 1998-99 offseason, Jordan retired, Pippen was traded to the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

, and Jackson was fired by the Bulls' GM Jerry Krause and took a break from coaching, effectively breaking up the Bulls' dynasty. Kukoč was the highest-scoring player from the Bulls' previous season that remained with the team. In the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season, he led the team in scoring, rebounding, and assists. On February 16, 2000 as Chicago continued their rebuilding scheme, Kukoč was traded to the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Ea ...

in a three-team deal involving the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

that sent Bruce Bowen,

John Starks John Levell Starks (born August 10, 1965) is an American former professional basketball shooting guard. Starks was listed at 6'5" and 190 pounds during his NBA playing career. Although he was undrafted in the 1988 NBA draft after attending four ...

and a 2000 first-round pick to the Bulls. The following season, he was dealt to the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

, along with

Nazr Mohammed Nazr Tahiru Mohammed ( ; born September 5, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who had a journeyman career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), playing for eight different teams over 18 seasons. He is the current ...

, Pepe Sánchez, and Theo Ratliff, in a blockbuster deal that sent

Dikembe Mutombo Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo (born June 25, 1966) is a Congolese-American former professional basketball player. Mutombo played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Outside basketball, he has becom ...

and

Roshown McLeod Roshown McLeod (born November 17, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round (20th pick overall) of the 1998 NBA draft. A 6'8" small forward from St. John's University and ...

to the 76ers. After a short stint with the Hawks, he was traded to the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 196 ...

, along with Leon Smith, in a deal for

Glenn Robinson Glenn Alan Robinson Jr. (born January 10, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Big Dog" and "The Chosen One", he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1994 to 2005 for the Milwaukee Bucks, Atl ...

. During the 2003 NBA Playoffs, Kukoč averaged postseason career-highs of 14.8 points and 2.2 steals per game during a six game first round loss to the eventual Eastern Conference champion

New Jersey Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

. On September 12, 2006, Kukoč announced that he would retire from professional basketball if he could not be signed by either the

or the

for the

2006–07 NBA season The 2006–07 NBA season was the 61st season of the National Basketball Association. The San Antonio Spurs were crowned the champions after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. Notable occurrences *The first NBA draft under the ne ...

. Although various NBA teams had shown interest in his services, Kukoč expressed a desire to be close to his residence in the city of

Highland Park, Illinois Highland Park is a suburban city located in the southeastern part of Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 30,176. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located ...

National team career

Yugoslavia

Kukoč was on the junior Yugoslavian Under-19 national team that won the 1987 FIBA Under-19 World Cup, where he was named the tournament MVP. He was also on the senior men's Yugoslavian national team that got the silver medal at the

1988 Summer Olympic Games The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

. He was named the MVP of the

1990 FIBA World Championship The 1990 FIBA World Championship was the 11th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's teams. It was hosted by Argentina from 8 to 19 August 1990. The final phase of the competition was held at the Luna P ...

, where he also won a gold medal. With Yugoslavia, he also won the gold medal at the

EuroBasket 1989 The 1989 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1989, was the 26th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship, held by FIBA Europe. It was held in Yugoslavia between 20 and 25 June 1989. Eight national teams entered th ...

and the EuroBasket 1991. He was also named the MVP of the 1991 EuroBasket tournament.

Croatia

Kukoč went on to win a silver medal with

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

, at the

1992 Summer Olympic Games The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

, in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

. He also won bronze medals at both the

1994 FIBA World Championship The 1994 FIBA World Championship was the 12th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's teams. The tournament was hosted by Canada from August 4 to 14, 1994. The tournament was held at SkyDome and Maple ...

, in Canada, and at the

1995 EuroBasket The 1995 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1995, was the 29th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as Europe qualifier for the 1996 Summer Olympics, giving a berth to ea ...

, in Greece.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

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, 75 , , 8 , , 24.1 , , .431 , , .271 , , .743 , , 4.0 , , 3.4 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , 10.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

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, 81 , , 55 , , 31.9 , , .504 , , .313 , , .748 , , 5.4 , , 4.6 , , 1.3 , , .2 , , 15.7 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", , style="text-align:left;",

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, 81 , , 20 , , 26.0 , , .490 , , .403 , , .772 , , 4.0 , , 3.5 , , .8 , , .3 , , 13.1 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", , style="text-align:left;",

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, 57 , , 15 , , 28.2 , , .471 , , .331 , , .770 , , 4.6 , , 4.5 , , 1.1 , , .5 , , 13.2 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", , style="text-align:left;",

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, 74 , , 52 , , 30.2 , , .455 , , .362 , , .708 , , 4.4 , , 4.2 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 13.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, 44 , , 44 , , 37.6 , , .420 , , .285 , , .740 , , 7.0 , , 5.3 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 18.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, 24 , , 23 , , 36.2 , , .381 , , .231 , , .761 , , 5.4 , , 5.2 , , 1.8 , , .8 , , 18.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

, 32 , , 8 , , 28.6 , , .438 , , .289 , , .673 , , 4.5 , , 4.4 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 12.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 48 , , 5 , , 20.4 , , .458 , , .410 , , .591 , , 3.4 , , 1.9 , , .7 , , .1 , , 8.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, 17 , , 14 , , 36.4 , , .492 , , .481 , , .681 , , 5.7 , , 6.2 , , .8 , , .3 , , 19.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 59 , , 9 , , 25.3 , , .419 , , .310 , , .712 , , 3.7 , , 3.6 , , .8 , , .3 , , 9.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

, 63 , , 0 , , 27.0 , , .432 , , .361 , , .706 , , 4.2 , , 3.7 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , 11.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 73 , , 0 , , 20.8 , , .417 , , .292 , , .729 , , 3.7 , , 2.7 , , .8 , , .3 , , 8.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 53 , , 6 , , 20.7 , , .410 , , .362 , , .721 , , 3.0 , , 3.0 , , .7 , , .2 , , 5.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 65 , , 0 , , 15.7 , , .389 , , .306 , , .714 , , 2.3 , , 2.1 , , .5 , , .3 , , 4.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 846 , , 259 , , 26.3 , , .447 , , .335 , , .729 , , 4.2 , , 3.7 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 11.6

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nels ...

, style="text-align:left;",

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, 10 , , 0 , , 19.4 , , .448 , , .421 , , .735 , , 4.0 , , 3.6 , , .5 , , .3 , , 9.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...

, style="text-align:left;",

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, 10 , , 10 , , 37.2 , , .477 , , .438 , , .692 , , 6.8 , , 5.7 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 13.8 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone o ...

, style="text-align:left;",

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, 15 , , 5 , , 29.3 , , .391 , , .191 , , .838 , , 4.2 , , 3.9 , , .9 , , .3 , , 10.8 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

, style="text-align:left;",

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, 19 , , 0 , , 22.3 , , .360 , , .358 , , .707 , , 2.8 , , 2.8 , , .7 , , .2 , , 7.9 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

, style="text-align:left;",

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, 21 , , 17 , , 30.3 , , .486 , , .377 , , .645 , , 3.9 , , 2.9 , , 1.2 , , .5 , , 13.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 0 , , 25.7 , , .419 , , .324 , , .588 , , 3.1 , , 1.7 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 9.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 6 , , 0 , , 30.7 , , .492 , , .379 , , .700 , , 4.2 , , 3.7 , , 2.2 , , .2 , , 14.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 0 , , 21.0 , , .500 , , .333 , , .500 , , 2.8 , , .8 , , .6 , , .4 , , 8.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3 , , 0 , , 17.7 , , .571 , , .625 , , .500 , , 1.7 , , 3.0 , , .3 , , .0 , , 7.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 99 , , 32 , , 26.9 , , .440 , , .342 , , .697 , , 3.9 , , 3.2 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 10.7

Personal life

Kukoč and his wife, Renata, purchased their Highland Park home, just after arriving in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, in 1993. After undergoing hip replacement surgery in 2009, he now plays at least one round of

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

daily, and won Croatia's national amateur golf championship in 2011. His son, Marin, played for Highland Park High School's varsity

team, and then enrolled at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...

. His daughter, Stela, played college volleyball at

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the ...

Oxford, Ohio Oxford is a city in Butler County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,035 at the 2020 census. A college town, Oxford was founded as a home for Miami University and lies in the southwestern portion of the state approximately northwest ...

Awards and accomplishments

KK Jugoplastika

* 3×

EuroLeague champion The rosters of each season's champions and finalists of the top-tier level European-wide professional basketball competition in Europe, the EuroLeague. From 1958, through the present. 1958 FIBA European Champions Cup Winner: Rīgas ASK (USS ...

: (

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

–

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...

) * 4× National Championship of Yugoslavia champion: (1988–1991) * 2×

Yugoslav Cup The Yugoslav Cup ( hr, Pokal Jugoslavije; sr, Куп Југославије; sl, Pokal Jugoslavije, mk, Куп на Југославија), officially known between 1923 and 1940 as the King Alexander Cup ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Kup kralja Aleksandra, ...

winner: (1990–1991) * 2×

winner: (1990–1991)

Benetton Treviso

champion: (1992) *

winner: (1993)

Chicago Bulls

* 3×

NBA champion The National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals is the championship series for the NBA held at the conclusion of its postseason. All Finals have been played in a best-of-seven format, and are contested between the winners of the Eastern Co ...

: (–) * 3× Eastern Conference champion: (–) * 3× Central Division champion: (–)

National team

Yugoslavia

1985 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship The 1985 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship (known at that time as 1985 European Championship for Cadets) was the 8th edition of the FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship. The city of Ruse, in Bulgaria, hosted the tournament. Yugoslavia won the trophy ...

: *

1986 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship The 1986 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship was an international basketball competition held in Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the ...

: * 1987 FIBA Under-19 World Cup: *

EuroBasket 1987 The 1987 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1987, was the 25th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship, held by FIBA Europe. It was held in Greece between 3 and 14 June 1987. Twelve national teams entered the ev ...

: *

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

: *

: * EuroBasket 1991:

Croatia

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

: *

EuroBasket 1995 The 1995 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1995, was the 29th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as Europe qualifier for the 1996 Summer Olympics, giving a berth to ea ...

Individual

MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

* 1987 FIBA Under-19 World Cup:

* 3× Croatian Sportsman of the Year: (1989–1991) * FIBA World Cup All-Tournament Team: (

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicis ...

) *

FIBA World Cup MVP The FIBA Basketball World Cup Most Valuable Player is an award, that is given by FIBA, to the Most Valuable Player of the FIBA Basketball World Cup. The inaugural award was handed out in 1950, to Oscar Furlong. Winners See also * FIBA Wo ...

: (

) * 5× Euroscar European Player of the Year: (1990–1991, 1994, 1996, 1998) * 4× Mister Europa European Player of the Year: (1990–1992, 1996) * 3×

: (

) *

EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer The EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer is the individual award for the player that gained the highest points in the EuroLeague Finals, the championship finals of the European-wide top-tier level professional club basketball competition, the EuroLeagu ...

: (1990) * 2×

EuroLeague All-Final Four Team The EuroLeague All-Final Four Team, or FIBA SuproLeague All-Final Four Team, was an award given by Europe's premier level league, the EuroLeague, to the top five basketball players of each season's EuroLeague Final Four competition. The EuroLea ...

: (1991, 1993) * 2×

FIBA EuroBasket All-Tournament Team The FIBA EuroBasket All-Tournament Team is the FIBA Europe award that is bestowed upon the five best players of each FIBA EuroBasket tournament. Pau Gasol holds the record for most selections in the All-EuroBasket Team, with seven. FIBA Euro ...

: (

) *

FIBA EuroBasket MVP The FIBA EuroBasket MVP is the FIBA Europe honor that is bestowed upon the Most Valuable Player of each FIBA EuroBasket tournament. Pau Gasol and Krešimir Ćosić share the record for most EuroBasket MVP awards, with two each. Modestas Paulau ...

: (

) * FIBA's 50 Greatest Players: (1991) *

Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport ( hr, Državna nagrada za šport "Franjo Bučar") is the highest recognition that Republic of Croatia gives for extraordinary achievements and contributions of remarkable meaning for the development of sport in Cr ...

: (1992) *

: () *

NBA Sixth Man of the Year The National Basketball Association's Sixth Man of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the league's best performing player for his team coming off the bench as a substitu ...

: () *

50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors The 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008) of FIBA European Champions Cup and EuroLeague history were awarded and chosen on February 3, 2008, in Madrid, Spain. The occasion was the fiftieth anniversary since the founding of the inaugural se ...

: (2008) *

: (2017) *

(2021)

Filmography

* '' Once Brothers'' (2010) * ''

250 Steps ''250 Steps'' ( sr-Cyrl, 250 степеника) is a 2017 Serbian documentary film which details how the Yugoslavia men's national under-19 basketball team won the 1987 FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Bormio, Italy. Created by Vladimir Paji� ...

'' (2017) * '' The Last Dance'' (2020)

References

External links

Toni Kukoč
at Basketball-Reference.com

at FIBA.com (archive)

at FIBAEurope.com
Toni Kukoč
at LegaBasket.it
EuroLeague & International StatisticsToni Kukoč
at NBA.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Kukoc, Toni 1968 births Living people 1990 FIBA World Championship players Atlanta Hawks players Basketball players at the 1988 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics Basketball players from Split, Croatia Chicago Bulls draft picks Chicago Bulls players Croatian emigrants to the United States Croatian expatriate basketball people in Italy Croatian expatriate basketball people in the United States Croatian men's basketball players Euroscar award winners FIBA EuroBasket-winning players FIBA Hall of Fame inductees FIBA World Championship-winning players KK Split players Lega Basket Serie A players Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics Milwaukee Bucks players National Basketball Association players from Croatia Olympic basketball players of Croatia Olympic basketball players of Yugoslavia Olympic medalists in basketball Olympic silver medalists for Croatia Olympic silver medalists for Yugoslavia Pallacanestro Treviso players People from Highland Park, Illinois Philadelphia 76ers players Small forwards Yugoslav men's basketball players 1994 FIBA World Championship players