Kukoc, who has just been inducted into the Hall of Fame, is arguably one of the role models of modern white players and a pioneer of the first international players. He has good basketball skills and tactics, solid basic skills, accurate shooting, for more international players in the future, especially European forward players to join the NBA to set a good example, but also pointed out the way for them to integrate into the league.
Like many European players, Tony Kukoc was intentionally groomed from an early age. People were very interested in his hand, and the students called his hand a sports hand. Kukoc's father was an engineer, but Kukoc did not like to fiddle with mechanical and digital things like his father from an early age, preferring to create happiness with his own hands.
At the 1987 World Youth Championship, Cookc faced Gary Payton's U.S. team and shot 11 three-pointers, impressing the whole of Europe and the NBA. By 1990, Kukoc had become a well-known star in Europe and had won the title of "Best Athlete in Europe".
Kukoc was picked by the Bulls in the final round of the first round that year, and he was so excited that Jordan had been a player he admired since he started following the NBA. Now having the opportunity to fight with Jordan is a wonderful thing for a basketball player.
However, due to tensions in the Balkans and his contract with the team, Kukoc's trip to the United States was shelved, but this did not hinder his march to a higher level. In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Kukoc and Jordan, who represented Croatia and the Dream Team for the first time, met Jordan, although there was no suspense in the game, But Cookic still scored 16 points and 9 assists under the strict defense of the Dream Team, which once again made the NBA pay attention to him.
In 1993, Kukoc finally put on this white and red Bull Dynasty robe, but the young man was very sorry that he had the opportunity to become the first participant in the Bulls' three consecutive championships, which he missed. He looked forward to fighting alongside Jordan and continuing to glory. However, it was at this time that Jordan retired for the first time for reasons that are well known. This has greatly damaged the bulls' strength, and the team's top management has taken a fancy to young European players as the new leader of the team, like European superstars such as Divac and Sabonis, Kukoc is also a typical player with solid skills, so the speed of integration into the team is relatively fast.
But when he first came to the Bulls, he never showed all his abilities, and his decent performance on the court was even questioned. The huge contrast between the team after the loss of Jordan made fans and teammates suspicious of Kukoc. Kukoc himself is also very anxious, and he is convinced that his ability ahead will help the team.
So often after the game, Kukoc even locked himself in the training gym, practicing the inside line breakthrough, he broke through the air defense again and again, it seems to use this way to vent his dissatisfaction with himself.
Later, we all know that Jordan has returned, and Kukoc suddenly understands that perhaps he can't really become the leader of the bulls, but it seems that he can create brilliance together around the leader, which seems to be his best position. Kukoc no longer worries about not being able to start on the pitch, because he and everyone in the team knows that the real leader is back and all he needs to do is to do his best.
The calm-minded Kukoc began to have more confidence on the court, and his playing space was also greater, Phil Jackson let him not only pay attention to the protection of the inside, but also to shoot decisively on the outside, and more importantly, sometimes he needed to use his big picture and tactical literacy to organize the attack on the court and connect Jordan well with other players.
But this alone is not enough, Kukoc himself knows very well, to establish a foothold in the NBA, there is certainly no technology alone, physical confrontation is more important. He himself, with the help of his coach, began to change himself. Rumor has it that the first thing he started to change was his face, he didn't want to be called a beautiful man anymore, so he grew a beard, and more importantly, his performance on the court, especially on the defensive end, began to get stronger, and Kukoc combined his technique and body.
With rodman's arrival, Kukoc's work on the inside gradually decreased, and organizing the offense and three-point shooting began to become Kukoc's most important tasks. In the 95-96 season, the Bulls won an unprecedented 72 wins. In that season, Kukoc also felt the warmth and glory of the team, he won the best sixth man of the season, and found his own position on the field. But the following season, injuries began to plague his play. As a player, injuries are always inevitable. Although he rested 25 games, his contribution to the team was still obvious to all, and in the end the Bulls won the championship in difficulty.
In the 97-98 season, Kukoc played an increasingly important role in the team as an all-round player. In the end, the Bulls ended the 8-year-long dynastic era after Jordan's legendary cast.
The undercurrent also surged in this season, the team's open and dark struggles and changes in people's hearts led to the following season, Cookchi helplessly became the core of the team, just like when James left the Cavaliers, the Bulls without Jordan were losing their combat effectiveness, and the so-called unity was just a yearning in the heart.
Kukoc also lost himself this time, although he had the best numbers on the team, and also scored his 5000th point and 1500 assists, but the rapid collapse of the dynasty was inevitable, and Kukoc left the Bulls in despair.
In the years that followed, he moved between the 76ers, Hawks, Bucks, and other teams, and while his movements were still sleek, the wrinkles and whiskers on his face were clearly no longer matching the dynamic jersey. The beautiful man of that year is old, it is time for the leaves to fall back to the roots, but the bull is no longer the bull of the year, but has new tactics and personnel, and they ruthlessly reject Kukoc's idea.
As the years passed and youth was gone, in September 2006, Kukoc finally chose to retire. On May 17, 2021, Kukoc was inducted into the Nai Smith Basketball Hall of Fame. In September of the same year, Kukoc was inducted into the 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame roster.
One of the greatest stars in European history and the most well-rounded star of the NBA's 90s, Tony Kukoc is 211 cm tall but able to play five positions on the court. He is a simple and complex character, under the aura of the plot, he still has a self, revealing the pursuit of victory in his heart, always guiding the direction of every European player who comes to the NBA, and his white muscles reveal passion and brilliance.