Days after the Bulls won their sixth championship, Phil Jackson hosted a celebratory dinner for the players, coaches and their families at a chicago restaurant. Halfway through he gathered the players into a private room, where they all gathered in a circle, wine glasses and cigars in hand, and took turns receiving Phil's toasts and blessings.
"That moment was really special," Steve Cole told Espn, "but sadly, I knew it was going to be our last group gathering." ”
I walked up to Tony Kukocchi and toasted him. No one experienced what he had done, and the pressure from Michael and Scotty kept him in high tension all the time. Cole continued, "Everyone knows the conflict between Michael and Scotty and Jerry Klaus, but Jerry is particularly fond of Tony, which makes him very upset in the middle." I know Tony came to Chicago just to play, to win the championship, so I toast him because I think he's a great player and I want him to know how important he is to our team. ”
Although still impressed by what the others had said, Kukoc had no idea of the toast Cole had uttered. Surprisingly, as these teammates thought, he had little interest in perpetuating Chicago's glory days. "Luckily, I crossed the barrier and tasted the championship again." Kukoc said that after a stormy 1997-98 season, he became more mature and stable.
The Bulls are old, wounded and littered with tensions between players and management. As for Kukoc, he had been battling plantar fasciitis all year round, and the whole person was in a much worse state than before. He felt the tension between Jerry Klaus and the players more and more, and the prelude to the team's impending disintegration.
When Kukoc first came to the Bulls, he faced the hostility of the two big men. According to his teammates, Jordan and Pippen called him "Jerry's guy." Kukoc himself once said that Pippen yelled at him directly during an intra-team training session, "What are you doing there like a wooden chair?" Pippen himself said he didn't remember using the word, but many of his teammates recalled that it was the Bulls' usual criticism of Kukoc.
"He had a tough time." Judd Buichler, who played in Chicago in the 1994-98 season, said.
"At first, Klaus was embarrassed," Bulls assistant coach Jim Clemmons said, "it's not something That Tony can control, it's not fair to him." ”
Kukoc gradually realized that everything that happened was because of Klaus, not his own. Fortunately, his psychological quality is very tough, and his performance on the field is justified.
"Tony is Tony, Klaus is Klaus, and we must not confuse the two of them." Clemmons said, "He doesn't mind the gossip, he doesn't usually say too much, he just silently does what he has to do." Everything he did afterwards earned the trust of coaches and teammates and I was proud of him. ”
As a rookie, Kukoc has served veteran players in the new season. Carrying bags and running errands, fetching water and buying food, are common things.
"I knew I had to earn their respect," Kukoc said, "and nobody cares about the results you've made in Europe, and nobody cares what executive background you have." Now that you're in the best team in the world, you have to let go of all the honor and pride you used to, I'm okay with that. ”
It's no exaggeration to say that before he entered the draft, Kukoc was definitely the best basketball player outside the NBA. At the age of 17, he became the main force of the Yugoslav national team, and won the European Championship with King striker Vlad Divac; won the World Championship at the age of 22; and at the age of 24, he gave 16 points and 9 assists to the "Dream Team" in the Olympic final, winning the silver medal.
At that time, Kukoc caused a wave of Basketball in Europe, and his Real Madrid team was almost invincible, sweeping the Spanish league and the Champions League.
"He's the magic johnson of Europe," said George Carr, the former Nuggets coach who coached Kukoc during his time at Real Madrid.
Kukoc knew jordan, Pippen and Phil Jackson's defensive philosophy was right, and he had to improve himself and become stronger. Before coming to the NBA, his play style was biased towards offense and organization, and now he has to make a difference in defense.
"I've never done anything like this before, or rarely do it." When it comes to how to be a defensive big forward, Kukoc is obviously struggling. "When I'm facing those big guys on the pitch, I look a little silly because they can shake me up with a very simple fake move. And most of them weighed more than a dozen kilograms more than me, and I simply couldn't form an effective confrontation at a low level. ”
Veterans like to ask about Kukoc's diet, and according to Kerr, Buichler and Cartwright, Kukoc always orders a glass of wine before a game as part of his pre-match meal. "It was a shock to see him do this, and the expression was like, 'Oh my God, no wonder you're in bad shape.'" "He had to learn how to manage his body and become a real professional player." ”
Kukoc insists that the stories are exaggerated, and that he is usually strict with his eating habits. But for him, wine is indeed an indispensable thing. 76ers general manager Billy King recalls trading Kukoc to Philadelphia at the time, saying he insisted on drinking a glass of italian wine made in late '90s every day. Zaza Pachulia, a 20-year-old who has been teammates with Kukoc in Milwaukee for a year, considers Kukoc to be a good mentor and friend, revealing that the two often go out to dinner, Kukoc always buys wine every time, and Pachulia thinks he is not a minor, so he is not suitable for drinking. "In fact, this is a helpless reason, because the wine ordered by Tony is too expensive, and I only get a rookie contract, and I am reluctant to buy it." Pachulia said.
Kukoc divides the reasons Jordan, Pippen and Jackson criticize him into two categories: nepotism with Klaus and the constructive opinion behind their desire to win. He believed that when Jordan and Pippen realized how good he was, these people would change their minds about him. He can help the team win games, and the team needs him to win games. As long as he can seize every opportunity to play, this wish will soon be realized. He was willing to wait.
"Most bench players have that idea." Bulls bench Dickie Simpkins said, "Tony, he knows his quality, so he plays out. ”
"Kukoc was right to bet on his talent, and once Michael and Scotty realise this guy is really good, they'll take him in." Cartwright, who played for the Bulls in the 1993-94 season and served as the team's assistant coach in 1996, said.
Just playing a few games in his rookie season, Kukoc quickly fell in love with Pippen. While the latter always teased him with "Jerry's kid," Kukoc understood that the knife-mouthed teammate, or the greatest defensive player of all time, had been helping him on the court. If Kukoc misses his opponent in defense, he will find pippen already standing behind him to help him defend. What's more, when the two are playing side by side, Pippen will go out of his way to teach him defensive moves, which makes him feel the support of his teammates.
"I love Scotty," Kukoc said, "the guy who helped me the most in the first two years of my career was Scotty, he was easy to get along with, I never really felt his criticism of me, I felt like he was trying to point me in the right direction." ”
Pippen campaigned for Kukoc's candidacy for the Hall of Fame, hoping that the former teammate would receive the same glory as himself. Of course, Kukoc himself wanted the respect he deserved, and he felt it was what he deserved. In fact, many people in the basketball world feel that Kukoc deserves the Hall of Fame, especially considering that international players of his age, such as Divac and Dino Radega (former Yugoslav players), have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
"It's important to me," Kukochi said, "I don't know what the criteria for being inducted into the Hall of Fame are, but I hope that one day they will find a reason for me to be inducted." ”
Kukoc's father, Ant, is 82 years old and the old man is the leader of his son's basketball career. "If I can enter the Hall of Fame in the future, I hope that my father will be alive by then so that he can enjoy this happiness with me," Kukoc said. ”
The reason why the relationship between Kukoc and Pippen will ease is many, but in fact, they are not so hostile. "They're all good people, but some unnecessary things have slowed down the progress of the friendship." Cartwright said.
In the 1994 Eastern Conference semifinals, the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks, who were 2-0 behind, fought for the third game. With 1.8 seconds left in the game, the two teams tied the score and the Bulls held the ball. Phil Jackson handed over the responsibility of the final shot to Tony Kukoc, putting Scott Pippen in charge of the rebounds on the inside. The failure to set up a kill-and-shoot tactic for Pippen led him to be very angry during the timeout and simply refused to play.
Kukoc, who was entrusted with heavy responsibilities, did not disappoint Jackson, and he hit the whistle to avoid the team's 0-3 dilemma. That season, Kukoc came forward several times when the team was in crisis, and he and Pippen became the two most trusted players for the Bulls after Jordan's first retirement.
The 1995–96 season was the most glorious season of Kukoc's career. He averaged 13.1 points, 4.0 boards and 3.1 assists per game that year, was elected the best sixth man, and helped the Bulls win 72 wins, setting a new record.
"If those guys [the Bulls] have the slightest thought that someone is going to break their record in the future, they might win 76 regular season games." Clemmons said.
However, the 73-win Warriors lost to the Cavaliers in the 2016 Finals and missed the championship, while the 72-win Bulls eliminated the Seattle Supersonics in just six games. 'Our coaching staff agreed that Kukoc was the lubricant of Chicago and that his presence made a lot of playing sound. George Carr, who was coaching supersonics at the time, said.
"When Pippen and Jordan rest, Tony can hit a shot at a crucial moment." Bulls bench Dickie Simpkins said, "Everybody loves to play with him because he's an incredible passer and he can play any role in a triangle offense." ”
Phil Jackson admired Kukoch's bold risk-taking, telling the Chicago Sun in 1997-98 that Rick Turand, a veteran reporter for the Chicago Sun, said, "While sometimes Tony doesn't listen to me and likes to play without playing cards in games, I think in a way we need someone as maverick as he is." ”
In the season of "The Last Dance", the East Final Seven with the Indiana Pacers was the only game in the Bulls' six-time championship winning history that really made them feel desperate. Kukoc scored 21 points that night, second on the team behind Jordan's 28, and it was his five consecutive jump shots in the third quarter that helped the team take a narrow lead.
Kukoc knew that after that game, no one would ever question him again. "I feel like if I'm given enough ball and playing time, I'll easily get 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, but I'll never ask for that, never change my original role with the Bulls." Even if someone says my numbers aren't enough to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, I have no problem with that. Every player sacrifices everything for the honor of the team and I firmly believe it was the best time of my career. ”
Kukoc cherishes the friendship with his teammates, and he sees these as important as winning. While it's almost impossible for Jordan to dine in public, the Bulls' other players' dinners are very popular. Asked what funny things had happened during a meal together, Kukoc recounted a small incident between them.
Many people were eating hotel breakfast in the lobby, and Cole persuaded other diners to order blueberry crepes, including Kukoc, Buller, Luke Langley, Bill Winnington, and perhaps others. Somehow, a blueberry stuck in Kukoc's nose and couldn't come out. When he sneezed hard, everyone was afraid that he would hit the blueberries on himself, hiding behind napkins or under the table and not daring to come out.
"I don't know why that," Kukotchi laughed, "I remember being laughed at by them for a long time. ”
Aside from Jordan, Rodman rarely spends time with his teammates, an uninhibited player who loves a world of spending his days drinking. Sometimes, though, he invites people like Kukoc to events, but most of the time he goes alone. According to teammates, Rodman knew that he was somewhat estranged from his teammates, but he had a hard time expressing his guilt.
"Dennis is actually a very shy person," Kukoc said, "and sometimes Jackson would help him get along with us, and he would apologize for buying gifts for everyone." Just one season before Christmas, he gave each teammate's wife a necklace. ”
"We thought, 'Dennis, you're embarrassing us because it's better than the necklace we bought when we got engaged.'" Cole said.
After watching the first 4 episodes of "The Last Dance", Kukoc wants everyone to pay more attention to the joys experienced by the Bulls together and reduce the pain caused by the dissolution of the team.
"Whose fault is it that we separated?" Kukoc said, "There's no point in talking about this now, at least when we're all happy together, and that's the part I want to remember the most." Every once in a while, when the weather gets colder, I snuggle up on the couch and watch the documentary, reminiscing about that time in the past. ”