Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen took a great deal of offense to these rumors, and they decided to absolutely embarrass Kukoc in the 1992 Olympics. Kukoc definitely wasn't on the same caliber as the NBA's elite, and the '92 Olympics proved it. He was a skilled offensive player, but damn, was he weak. Sounds a lot like our savior Nikola Mirotic.
Still, Kukoc was an excellent offensive player who could light up the scoreboard, and his talents were highly necessary during the 1997-98 season when Pippen missed much of the year due to back problems. Kukoc wasn't much of a defensive player, and for a guy who was 6'10, he was a terrible shot blocker. Nevertheless, he came to play in the '98 championship, averaging about 15 points per game during the finals, and I'll always remember that he was basically the only other guy who scored during MJ's Game 6 45-point finale.
Kukoc thrived tertiary offensive option, so when he became "the guy" in 1999, it became readily apparent that he couldn't shoulder the load as a number one scored. Poor Toni was traded to Philadelphia in a three team deal that netted the Bulls John Starks (sickening), Bruce Bowen, and a 1st round pick. Bowen and Starks were both fairly promptly released, and I can't even blame Krause for doing that: Bowen wasn't good at the time and Starks was the number one adversary of the Bulls for the better part of a decade.
After Philly, Kukoc made stops in Atlanta and Milwaukee, finally retiring at the age of 37.
Toni was well-known for his giant pregame meals (as well as a giant penis).
These days, Toni plays golf every day and splits his time between Highland Park and Croatia. I wouldn't mind running into him some day, as long as he's wearing some pants.
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