Michael Jordan Wanted To Embarrass Toni Kukoc In 1992 Olympics After Jerry Krause Said Kukoc Would Be The Future Of The Bulls: ‘I Didn’t Appreciate It And It Drove My Energy’

NBA legend Michael Jordan wanted to embarrass Toni Kukoc in the 1992 Olympics after Jerry Krause said Kukoc would be the future of the Chicago Bulls. 

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

“Toni Kukoc became a great teammate and I love Toni Kukoc for who he is,” Jordan said in The Last Dance doc. “But the way he was introduced to me and Scottie, I didn’t appreciate it and it drove my energy.”

Jordan and Pippen hounded Kukoc during Team USA’s first game against Croatia.

Kukoc finished with just four points. He had seven turnovers and shot just 2-of-11 from the field. 

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

Jordan and Pippen didn’t have anything against Kukoc. They just hated Krause so much that they wanted him to look bad for fawning over Kukoc. 

“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,” Pippen wrote in his memoir called Unguarded. “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.

“It was personal between Jerry and me. 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.”

Kukoc joined the Bulls in 1993-94. He, Jordan and Pippen won three NBA titles 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.