Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen ‘Set Out To Make Things Difficult’ For Toni Kukoc In 1992 Olympics Because Jerry Krause Loved Him: ‘Extremely Personal’

NBA legends Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen “set out to make things difficult” for Toni Kukoc in the 1992 Olympics since Chicago Bulls general manager Jerry Krause loved him.

Krause was hell-bent on bringing Kukoc from Europe to the NBA despite having Jordan and Pippen and the Bulls legends weren’t happy about it.

“I had been looking forward to this matchup since the schedule came out in early July,” Pippen wrote in his book. “Croatia was the team Toni Kukoc played for — you know, the guy Jerry Krause was in love with. As with Isiah Thomas, this is another subplot of the Dream Team that has received a ton of coverage. Almost as much as the games themselves.

“What has been reported for years is absolutely true. That Michael and I set out to make things difficult for Toni by hounding him every time he touched the ball. He finished with just 4 points, on 2 of 11 from the floor, and committed 7 turnovers, resulting in another blowout for Uncle Sam: 103-70.”

Jordan and Pippen had nothing against Kukoc. They just wanted to make him look bad because Krause was enamored with the lefty. 

“It was personal between Jerry and me,” Pippen wrote. “Extremely personal. I was still angry with him flying to Europe in pursuit of Toni while leaving my contract situation up in the air. There seemed no end to the amount of ways Jerry would insult me, and Michael, for that matter. We were the ones busting our butts night after night, year after year, for the Chicago Bulls. Not Toni Kukoc.”

The Dream Team beat Croatia twice in the 1992 Olympics. Team USA defeated Croatia in the gold medal game behind Jordan and Pippen. 

Kukoc joined the Bulls in 1993-94. He, Jordan and Pippen won three NBA championships together in 1996, 1997 and 1998. 

“There was nothing personal between Toni and me,” Pippen wrote. “How could there be? I didn’t know the guy. Toni and I would get along quite well once we became teammates in 1993. People don’t realize how good he was. We wouldn’t have won our last three championships without him.”

Jordan, Pippen and Kukoc are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Jordan presented Pippen and Kukoc into the Hall of Fame.