Toni Kukoc 1998 NBA Finals Game 5 30 pts 11/13 FG
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- Опубліковано 17 тра 2020
- Hall of Famer.
Goddamn how is this lost in the record books. 85% from the field to Jordan’s 9/26. The blatant stealing of the game winner from Toni. Mind you, Toni has proven he’s clutch before in the 94 ECF and multiple other game winners including the miraculous 3 to bring them to one. Unbelievable no one mentions this not even in the Last Dance. The cutting out of Toni in The Last Dance is unjustifiable. Same with Ron Harper and Luc Longley’s name isn’t even mentioned. Sad.
Wait a minute. So in a game where Scottie shot 2-16 and Jordan shot 9-26, Toni Kukoc almost singlehandedly carried the Bulls to a win and their 6th title, before he was denied the final shot he deserved, and none of this was even mentioned in a documentary that was all about the Bulls' "Last Dance" aka final championship run? That's not right.
Exactly like that....
And there are dozens such details missing from Last dance...
The whole series to me, is just a one sided story. They made Krause like this scum, which I don't think it's fair since he couldn't protect himself from all accusations now, could he. For all it's worth, Toni is the best import Bulls ever made. You have to give Krause credits for that, he knew how to build a successful team acquired the right players.
I assume they cut out some interview portions that might affect mighty Jordan too. Even the clips or many other clips were selected, but it was actually Toni who did the most jobs for 2nd 3peat run but MJ got all the credits because he was the franchise name. I mean this is MJ, I'm good at everything, seriously, I mean everything!
Well, I can see that now..
@@pper2428 yeah they did Krause wrong, he was right in his statment that not only plays but organizations win championships. He got a great cast of teammates around Jordan which few people could do as good as he did. Why Bulls fell apart is because of egos. Nobody could just put aside their ego especially Scottie and MJ and say hey lets renegotiate this whole thing and try to win couple more championships while we still have some youth left but no they started acting like little kids and slagging of Krause. Scottie it was your fault for the contracts.
Similar in game 7 vs Indiana...
@@simepanda6764 And this is what they won't show on TLD. One thing I noticed throughout years of being a fan, the media, the commentator, news..they sort of make everything about MJ while the rest didn't matter much, like Toni, he was the one behind glory of many games during 2nd 3peat, but it didn't matter cos' they would not really show it on the recap. Because for reporters, sportscasters, spectators, what matter most was their Jordan and Toni was jt some European player entering their territory. At least, Europe commenmorate his greatness as how a phenomenal player should be, while American committees just run by marketing prospects and pure ignorance.
Real fans know how important Tony was to us
I only have 2 Jerseys from 96-98 Number 7 and 91.
@@tapoemt3995 I have same Jerseys
@@BM85s 👍 Heck yea!
Yeah man especially in the playoffs.
@@tapoemt3995 me too !!! ✌️
Not a mention about this Kukoc game in the documentary..
And many other games too.. a documentary with bias at its best.
This is not the only one , doc is all about mj, just another propaganda
That's not a documentary - treat it as a memoir.
game 7 against pacers it was because of kukoc bulls stayed in the game and game 5 bulls was supposed to take the winning shoot
Toni Kukoč coached football and ping Pong until the age of fifteen, and from the age of 16 to 20 I conquered Europe. Three-pointers, assists, dunks from the free throw line ...❤️
3× NBA champion (1996-1998)
NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1996)
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1994)
FIBA World Championship MVP (1990)
FIBA EuroBasket MVP (1991)
FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991)
5× Euroscar Player of the Year (1990, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1998)
4× Mister Europa Player of the Year (1990-1992, 1996)
3× EuroLeague champion (1989-1991)
3× EuroLeague Final Four MVP (1990, 1991, 1993)
EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer (1990)
FIBA European Selection (1991)
50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008)
Italian League champion (1992)
Italian Cup winner (1993)
4× Yugoslav League champion (1988-1991)
2× Yugoslav Cup winner (1990, 1991)
3× Croatian Sportsman of the Year (1989-1991)
Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport (1992)
This man was born winner ...
No disrespect, and since I am a great Toni's fan and proud of it, the awards he received were more impressive than the renowned one, at least to me.
You're missing like half of his most important medals wtf?
1× World Champion (1990)
2× European Champion (1989, 1991)
2× Silver Olympic medals (1988, 1992 second only to the Dream Team)
Looks like a resume of a hall of famer to me
@@clansman89 you are wright - but i put mostly indvidual award ...
@@mategradac199 But you put team awards as well and since you did that it would make more sense to mention WC, Eurobasket and Olympic medals instead of Italian and Yugoslavian Cups, for example. Čudan ti kriterijum, pajdo.
Kukoc was bad ass. Loved watching him play.
3× NBA champion (1996-1998)
NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1996)
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1994)
FIBA World Championship MVP (1990)
FIBA EuroBasket MVP (1991)
FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991)
5× Euroscar Player of the Year (1990, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1998)
4× Mister Europa Player of the Year (1990-1992, 1996)
3× EuroLeague champion (1989-1991)
3× EuroLeague Final Four MVP (1990, 1991, 1993)
EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer (1990)
FIBA European Selection (1991)
50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008)
Italian League champion (1992)
Italian Cup winner (1993)
4× Yugoslav League champion (1988-1991)
2× Yugoslav Cup winner (1990, 1991)
3× Croatian Sportsman of the Year (1989-1991)
Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport (1992)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
FIBA Hall of Fame as player
Medals[
Men's basketball
Representing Yugoslavia
Summer Olympic Games
Silver medal - second place 1988 Seoul
World Cup
Gold medal - first place 1990 Argentina
EuroBasket
Bronze medal - third place 1987 Greece
Gold medal - first place 1989 Yugoslavia
Gold medal - first place 1991 Italy
U19 World Cup
Gold medal - first place 1987 Italy Under-19
European U-18 Championship
Gold medal - first place 1986 Austria Under-18
European U-16 Championship
Gold medal - first place 1985 Bulgaria Under-16
Representing Croatia
Summer Olympic Games
Silver medal - second place 1992 Barcelona
World Cup
Bronze medal - third place 1994 Canada
EuroBasket
Bronze medal - third place 1995 Greece
Toni was born winner
But he choked that one free throw.
Not a single word about this in the Last dance
Newmaidumosa lmao he actually averaged better numbers then Scottie in this Utah series so no KUKOC no ring in this one. Don’t believe me rewatch all the games.
Because they lost.
@@noomade Why mention just the winning games and not the whole series? Over the whole series Pippen averaged 15.7 pts and Kukoc 15.2 pts,but Pippen played more minutes.They were both equally important for the win
Kukoč is a master when the game is broken, so at the last second
@G C Come again Dumbo?
People may think MJ is the GOAT or whatever, but he never ever will be my role model. Toni had been phenomenal, unselfish, and crucial for Bulls and this was what he got back. If any of you had seen Toni through his career since Jugoplastika, the dire situation in his country, and how he endured coming to NBA and carried himself throughout the years, the word 'underrated' is still underrated for a man like him.
True
I used to watch Jugoplastika (with an incredible squad) on Europsport against Aris and Nikos Galis. Those were the days.
@@ferryvanleyen5606 For me, I loved those old games, more tactical, and they played as a team.
Gospel
Yup people forget the people that surrounded the Goat, remember 1 guy can’t win it all alone and that’s a fact, I grew up into MJ era but always loved players around him, kukoc, longly,
Kerr, jack haley, Harper ect. even used them in them SNES games lol it yeah kukoc ain’t called “the Server” for nothing 🔥🔥🔥🙏🤙🏻
Put this man in the Hall Of Fame!!! With Love From Macedonia
Absolutely. People have no idea how biased the NBA is.
Finally.
Така е , Тони е легенда.
Love from Poland 🤘
He just got selected the other day.
What a fantastic, all-rounded player Kukoč was. Gave everything he could to the team. Respect.
His defense was below average though
No second 3peat without Toni Kukoc
Toni Kukoc was very underrated and was very instrumental in all the Bulls championships after 96
I LOVED KUKOC WHAT AN IMPORTANT PLAYER TO THE BULLS RUN. what a key player and person.
my all-time fav international player
It's amazing that based on the last dance you would think Steve Kerr was one of the really key players on those Bulls teams and Toni Kukoc was just another role player when in reality it was the other way around.
Its because jerry krouse liked toni and jordan hated jerry therefore toni doesnt get mentioned
@@jarrett5083 Yep! I lost all respect to Jordan after watching that shit, he acted like an arrogant prick and Toni handled it with class, you can tell Toni is pissed but he's unassuming, totally a DECENT man.
Toni was a very talented player. Really ahead of the times. Wasn't as common back then to see a big man with shooting and handles. In today's game this Bulls team would score 125 a game.
Today, Kukoc would be a franchise player with those skills and today's rules.
@@workinginthewell3498 agreed and maybe better than Giannis because Tony could shoot the 3 and he is equally fast and tall!!
They changed his game style when he got to the NBA. Back in Europe he was Mr Assists, the white Magic Johnson.
Maybe more,that's almost the league average but I get ya
Toni was better player then Yannis in ewery aspect of the gama,Yannis beat him on athletycs
What a player, unique stuff. Toni was a beast also in Yugoslav basketball domination 1986-1991
Toni is definitely underrated a thats the fact....was a man with balls in this game
Well, he was overlooked in NBA for sure, because they just used him to light up the bad games or to help turn over the score. That's how I know how important he was, cos' he would just explode off the bench and could score like 24 pts within 23 mins. And a lot of his games were helping to create the play and also helping others to flourish, just like you mentioned, he was very unselfish for sure. And perhaps, that's the sacrifice he made for the team, to get unnoticed as long as the team won.
As Phil Jackson mentioned, Toni is like a maverick, but sometimes you need a maverick in the team.
Toni is my most favourite player in NBA, and one of the nicest famous persons I know of.
Toni Kukoč is the only player who doesn't have to score a single basket, and he will be the player of the match. Pink panther.
How?? Yeah he is a good passer but he's a liability on defense, below average rebounder and not as gritty as MJ, Pippen and Rodman.. i think you're statement is a reach..
Yeah, how does that work exactly?
Maybe that's was sometimes true for him in Croatia and Europe... Against some weak-ass competitors. In NBA - especially in *that* time - no chance. There was so much competition for the spot every game. You have to at the same time be exceptional, work hard the whole game - AND have a good day. No way in the world, Jose... Kukoč was grateful to be even noticed in the league and that's what he generally achieved. No one expected him to lead any team to the playoffs or finals and he never offered that and he never did. And he didn't have it in him, he didn't have the energy for that. He didn't have the heart for that. And it showed in comparison to Dražen, especially. There's a guy who's smaller, who's maybe less talented - but had a heart that enflamed the masses. And everyone saw him as the winner, wherever he went. Everyone saw him giving it good all, all his heart, soul and mind on the field - and people loved it. They wanted him to win, it was so infectious. Kukoč was always half asleep on the field, in comparison. He moved like a death on vacation. So slow...
Btw, we over here in Europe, have no concept of how big NBA really is. It's the league of the country with the surface area double the size of EU and then some - and it's the league of the very best of the hoops playing people of that whole area. If we organised it here in Europe, whole Croatia could provide one or, if very very lucky, maybe two teams to compete in that league. And it still would take a long, long time for the new league to reach the level of NBA. If ever.
We should be more modest. And do something about creating that league. That's the only way to go, for sure.
Tony was a team player. And he always said that when he gives an assist that two players are happy, and when he gives a basket only one. He also played well in defense. He played everything from 1 to 5. The main triangle in Chicago was the great Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Toni Kukoč.
Toni Kukoč coached football until the age of fifteen and was a champion in table tennis, and from the age of 16 to 20 I conquered Europe. Three-pointers, assists, bananas, dunks from the free throw line ...
@@antonijajelic2575 yeah, that's all fine, but the very next season after MJ retired for the second time (98-99) Kukoč led the team and couldn't do anything big for the team. They ended up LAST in the Eastern conference after 14 straight seasons in the playoffs. When MJ led the team, before Pippen arrived, Bulls couldn't win the league, but they've always reached playoffs. When MJ retired the first time, Pippen led the team, they've reached the second round of playoffs.
98-99 with Kukoč as the leader, they end up last in the Eastern conference.
Season 99-00 they've signed Elton Brand, a rookie who immediately became the best player and leader of the team and the rookie of the year. Then they've traded Kukoč.
No, Kukoč never had the energy to be the best player and leader on the team in NBA and it clearly showed.
If Dražen Petrović, for example, was left with that team Kukoč was left with, I'm sure they wouldn't end up last, they might've even reach playoffs. That's the difference between best players and not-the-best players
I see that everyone has read the comment from Phil Jackson that the last shot was supposed to go to Kukoc. Jordan's ego wouldn't let Toni take the game winning shot to win the series even though he obviously had the hot hand. Jordan stole the ball on the inbound pass from Harper and whiffed badly. His Airness was not a team player. This is even worse than when Pippen sat out the 1.8 seconds against New York.
Yep, I can understand frustration of Pippen but a spur of moment made him a douche with the fact that he was the team leader. But Jordan to steal the ball from your own teammate was hard to swallow. The arrogance of his action to rip credits off eveyone and made it all abt himself that he was the one made the team to the finals were things I couldn't fathom. How many time Kukoc saved their asses and win the games for them, be it during the games or at clutch point. I wonder if any fans remember Toni and how important he was or it is all abt Jordan. That is the sad part for me because Toni was and is such a phenomenal guy.
@walentkane69 If it's true, i think it was only a Ron Harper's fear of Jordan, that if he give a ball to Toni, and he miss, everybody (especialy MJ) will blame Ron for that. So in the last moment he change his mind and gave a ball to Michael. But the fact is that MJ missed the shot, and that Toni would surely score. Must be that Ron, (and Phil) and everybody else was mad, after they lost that game....
@walentkane69 Jordan went to Kukoc's spot and Harper was pressured to throw the ball to him. Harper knew that Jordan wanted to take the last shot and was willing to deny Toni the opportunity. This is obvious to everyone who watched the game and this video. Jordan put himself above the team.
@walentkane69 He didn't want to end his career passing the ball to Kukoc for the winning shot. He has a massive ego that hurt the team on several occasions. Deal with it.
@walentkane69 I tried to make sense out of it, but if that's the case, it still doesn't make any sense that
(1) Harper, as much as a good player as he was, suddenly passed the ball to the wrong man at this crucial time?
(2) If Jordan knew that it was supposed to be for Toni, why would Jordan jumped out of nowhere like really really fast in front of Kukoč, since Jordan, the one who playeds hundreds of games should know better that he was in Toni's way?
(3) If it was really Harper, then it was really against what I believed. He was a good player and teammate, and it is ridiculous that Harper would pass the ball wrongly, made no sense to me.
My conclusion for what I witnessed was it might be the fact that Jordan did really steal that last shot, but Phil who must protect his team from allegations from the media towards Jordan, and Toni whom we all know, one of the most easy-going, unselfish, and chillax guy in basketball history summed it all up and feed to the media and we just had to swallow it. But that is my opinion though.
Shameful that his picture wasn't included on The Last Dance cover.
This real Tony. One of the best basketball players ever.he could do everything under any circumstances. He was also in a very difficult team. It's not the easiest thing to have mj and sp in the same team with you. Respect from Greece. (Where the real Macedonia is)
Dražen Petrović was born in my city, beautiful Šibenik. Toni Kukoč 70 km away from Split 🇭🇷 🌞
Divac still the man tho
@@jeffrey7737 Divac was good just enough to hand a towells to Dražen and Toni during time out...Can't even be in the same sentence with Toni and Dražen.
All you have to do is pause the video at 5:52 - pretty clear that the play was working exactly as designed. Kukoc had gotten around Karl and had a clean look at a catch and shoot. Also pretty clear that Harper's pass was intended for him. Watch Kukoc's reaction afterwards - he just walks back to the bench and doesn't even look to see if it was going in.
the play was set up for Michael. John Paxton told Phil to set it up for Toni but he said no Michael, then after he addmitted should have went to Toni.
@@chrisbrown2211 It's a lie. The fact that both Toni and Mike were bunched together going for the ball tells you this is b.s.
@@RMT192 it's not a lie.... Paxton told this by himself in a video of Toni's HOF acceptance
It was always planned for Jordan, and Toni does look at the basket to see if the ball goes in or not, what are you talking about?
After what happened to Pippen in that game years ago, the ball would never go to Tony unless Jordan said the ball should go to Kukoc. If Phil had gone with Tony, he would have found trouble with Jordan.
Fake video!
Toni Kukoc never played for Bulls, Carmen Electra did!
#JusticeForCarmenElectra
It hurts to watch Jordan steal that last shot from Kukoc 😖
@walentkane69 I don't think it's Ron's fault. See it again. It's clearly visible that Michael run in front of Kukoč and grab the ball before him. I think Ron had a good intention and he pointed the ball RIGHT to TONI,but Michael run in front of him and steel it. Like always, he wanted to be the GOAT. But he was just too selfish.
@walentkane69 Harper passing the ball to Jordan was viable only because Jordan raised his hand for the ball, while trying to free himself from the defender in the same area as Kukoc was intended to go (only possible area of the floor for the plan to be executed). So you can hardly blame the passer.
I remember watching it live. I was so pissed at MJ. Kukoc was hot and he has a history of great last second shots. Damn.
@G C you're a troll. LeBron got so many game winners. 3 championships later. That narrative is dead. Try to find a real argument
For sure, I enjoyed Toni's game but the last bit really put me off. It's like watching a good series that has a bad plot ending..
I was a fan of Toni since the Barcelona Olympics. What a coincidence that Chicago brought him in. 🏆🔥🇵🇭
Mabuti may mga pinoy na sumasaludo kay Toni!
Amazing game5 finals performance from Tony Kukoc.
How did I miss this in "The Last Dance?"
Because he was a "typical european player", nobody cares about some white dude from europe. Now Doncic is butt-raping the entire NBA... Everyone is watching now for sure.
Cause they lost that game
Cause MJ had a horrible shooting night and they didn’t want to show MJ having any flaws. Just like when Gary Payton was guarding him in the 96 finals MJ’s shooting percentage went way down. But they didn’t want to show that either.
I love MJ he's my childhood hero but they left this out because it would make him look bad
They showed so much of Steve Kerr in documentary i mean i get it he is American and also very famous now cuz of the gsw but Toni was much more important to Bulls than him that he deserved at least as much space as Kerr in documentary.
Toni was completely ignored, Luc Longley was the starting center and he wasn't even mentioned in the series, but we see Wennington and Burrell
@@rusted8157 are we talking about the game here and importance of the player for a team or public relations..
Marko Marković While I agree with everything you said, Luc Longley isn’t in the documentary pretty much at all because he lives in Australia and they were unable to get a crew there during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, would he have been a key interviewee? Probably not. Wennington’s presence makes more sense than Burrell because he was an affiliated with the Bulls organization after retiring, serving as an announcer. The whole Burrell was a man seen with potential was a complete sham, he was 27 by the time he got to Chicago.
I doubt Toni minds it at all.
Surely, he treasures his time with the Bulls, and his whole NBA career at that…
BUT I guess he saw all that as a purely professional sojourn.
The way I see it, he seems happiest when reminiscing about his time as part of that legendary Yugoslavian team with Petrovic, Radja, Divac and the others.
Lets keep it real here, Toni, Ron Harper, Luc Longley were all more improtant to the bulls than little stevie Kerr
Very underrated
I remember like it was yesterday watching the game with friends. That last ball, man if Toni got it...we will never know, but as a big TK fan I felt bad watching the last dance...
Same here
Because Jordan was that great, people were too blind to see how good his teammates really were. I remembered watching this team in the mid to late 90's thinking how stacked they were.
The "Croatian Sensation" deserves to be in the NBA HOF!!!
He’s in....
@@mikegassensmith3434 Hi Mike, I just saw that today... AWESOME and LONG Overdue!!! High-Fives to Brother Kukoc!
There’s no such thing as the NBA HOF.. it’s the BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME
Done...
It's not the NBA hall of Fame it's BASKETBALL'S hall of Fame, so all he achieved in Croatia should be considered when they deciding to see who goes in hof...
Remember watching that game so excited @ the chance of Kukoc getting the last shot to win the game & the championship
More Kukoc in The Last Dance would be nice :)
30 points on 13 shots. In the finals. Still waiting for Jordan or Pippen to high five him.
They lost this game!! High five a loss? Lol
@@CanuckQuest they lost this game cause Jordan "I am the greatest" headass stole the inbound pass intended for the player that was heavily outplaying him just to chuck a 3 point fadeaway brick
@@joelmartindominguez8273 You can argue that Tony should have taken that shot no problem. If you think Michael “stole” that shot then you honestly don’t understand basketball. The pass was intended for Mike all along.
@@CanuckQuest i meant stealing in a figurative way. Mike was having a shit day from the field and kukoc was having a field day
@@joelmartindominguez8273 It is almost as if Harper had a chance to pass it to Tony and was a bit late so Michael improvised. I agree Toni was having a great night.
He would have been a star on any other team
He was so underrated.
Kukoc's problem was he wasn't the type to really be a verbal leader at least not being a foreign born player playing in the 90's in the US. He was the type who wanted to win and was willing to pass and make everyone else look good and had the skills to score high every night. But, he needed people around him that believed in him. He wanted to win and was willing to do what it took and he just thought that was the way it was to be put in the position he was. The problem is he was on a team with his idol Jordan and he was definitely a verbal leader and the team was build around him. Kukoc and Jordan would have both shined had they put Toni is as a ball handler like he was in Europe. The didn't play him like that . They put him in as a small forward and as a sub for Pippen (they didn't even play him that position when Jordan was out the year before he came back surprisingly) . At that position Pippen might have had the edge because of defense but as a ball handler he would have a unstoppable play maker with Jordan and him on the offense. He never was put on a team that let him do this. He got kind of typecast as the small forward and also on the bulls they had him gain weight and size for his new position which may have made it hard for him to transition back to his lighter weight and position even if they wanted him to play that position again like he did in Europe. Combine injuries etc and you got a guy who in my opinion could have been up there with the likes of Larry Byrd as far as offensive talent but instead was put on the backburner for the overall picture on the Bulls ( or their overall picture). He did good for the situation he was in . I mean who would complain in general with the championship rings etc , but had he been put in to a Luka Doncic type situation like he was in Europe he would have been a mega star and I feel bad for him that they left him out. In this game for example, the 2 stars Jordan and Pippen weren't hitting early like they normally do so it was almost like he felt safe to step up. Kind of goes along with mentality and environment and what he needed to personally suceeed that wasn't given to him on the Bulls or later years.
I mean he was part of arguably greatest team of all time so its only natural he wasnt gonna get the minutes he deserved but as Phil Jackson pointed out one time, it doesnt matter who starts the game but who ends and he put Kukoc in pressure situations always.
Bulls were my team, MJ was and is my guy and for me a GOAT. Since the first game I saw him around '89/'90 against San Antonio. But same as this last shoot that should have gone to Kukoć like Phil desine it...it's FAR more embarrassing that he got maybe 5min in 10 hour documentary and even those 5min had nothong to do with what he give to Bulls. Game 7 vs Indiana he had 21 points with great % and practicly saved Bulls from loosing in conference finals, helped them to get to the finals against Jazz. In documentary Kerr scored 11 points against Pacers in game 7 and they showed 9 out of his 11. Kukoc had 21 and they showed 0. Zero points and not a word about his great game. Same goes for this one...30 points with 75% shooting, 7-8 of them in last min and a half and he didn't even get the ball even tho he was clutch, had many game winners and on fire that night...and Pipp had like 2-19, Jordan 9-27 up untill that shoot. And I'am glad Jordan made that amazing shoot against Russel in game 6 for the Championship...but Kukoč was their third guy in those finals and he was anounced like that on NBC. BIG 3 in Jazz...Malone, Stockton, Hornachek. BIG 3 in Bulls...Jordan, Pippen, Kukoč. After that great preformance in game 7 vs Indiana, he finished the finals with 15.2ppg, 4.5rpg, 3apg. Third in scoring with the best 50% in whole team and overall only 3 points less then Pippen in all 6 games. Pippen had 41% and Jordan 42%. Fourth in points was Harper with 5.0 and Kerr had ONLY 3.9ppg. Kukoč was also third in assist. And ANY of that wasn't even mentioned in Last Dance. But you got SOOO much about Kerr or even other players. It's simple...he was from Europe back then but more important...he wasn't flashy or loud, didn't show any ego and he wasn't aprecciated by Jordan. Period.
Pogledaj Larry Birda, mozda promijenis misljenje....Ja jesam, Bird je bijeli kralj kosarke, MJ je bomba al ima takvih u povjesti Nba par komada, Larry Bird je bio i ostao samo jedan
So rodman was not part of the big 3? He was a champ before joining the bulls
@@jeffrey7737 That's why I always talk about big 4.
Lol yeah you're not biased at all or anything. I'm sorry one of the handful of successful basketball exports you produce was overshadowed by one of the greatest players of all time. Kukoc was great, but you're bias is overwhelminglying apparent, especially when using broken English. Saying Kukoc was of the same level of importance as Jordan is dipping into the realm of fantasy.
@@toastedt140 Nobody says he was of the same importance as MJ, but that he's underrated is a fact. How to explain that one Steve Kerr gets more publicity than Kukoc (one of the 4 most important players of the second era Bulls)? U.S. chauvinism is the only answer.
That last pass was 100% going to Toni. You can see MJ had cut in and took it from Toni's hands.
And considering how many identical game winners Toni hit for the Bulls this one had a great chance of going in. But Jordan wasnt going to get spotlight stolen from him. They always mention how he passed to Kerr for that game winner but that play he was the orchestrator. Here he wasnt and he had a bad game leading up to it.
Jordan my favorite but that was stupid and wrong and I don't like how he treats certain fans
Man Mj stealing the ball at your own teammate.
Biggest ego in the basketball world. Same with Kobe’s toxic attitude. Acting like the game is a one on one game. They would’ve never have won anything without their bigtime teammates.
@@WNCHSTR hahahhahaha you must be a lechina fan boy huh?
@@mikegassensmith3434 oh yeah coz there are no other NBA players out there and people can’t just be a fan of the game in general.. fuckin idiot!
@@WNCHSTR jordan won 6 rings by playing "one on one" basketball then lol. Same with kobe. No player in nba history won a ring by himself. Just because mj did the wrong play at the end of the game does not mean he is not a team player. I reccomend you to watch full games of Jordan and Kobe's. They were concentrated to scoring because of their roles in the team.
Yeah not cool
Kukoc was awesome!
Nobody else can have the glory, if it's not Jordan.
Same with LBJ
Kyrie? Wade? Bosh? Allen?
Just LBJ.
@@114D True those 2011 finals, Wade got a head start on Bron and was on his way to a 2nd finals mvp then LeBron kinda play wishy-washy and threw the series away.
That's idiotic. Y'all literally play this both ways. MJ has the most buzzer beaters in history, so he's selfish. But then Bron stans try to say "ohh, well Paxson and Kerr made game winners in the Finals!!?!?" Which one is it? You can't play both sides. Y'all point to a game that made the series ***checks notes*** 3-2 Bulls. And then what happened, in Game 6, Kukoc scores a respectable 15...to MJ's 45 and the greatest sequence of plays in the history of basketball (layup, steal, iconic title winning jumper).
@@manuginobilisbaldspot424 this ain't LeBron vs Jordan, it's about Jordan being an asshole.
Unfair to Kukoč. One of the greatest Euro ballers O.A.T!
and the Best allrounder for sure.
Not on Cover and no Word bout him in last dance.
Last dance is only mj shiiiit and why now? (22years later)?....
Ok.
Answer: i love mj and i truly think that He is a G.O.A.T but ☝☝☝☝☝☝☝what He does here is...hey yo. ...always more and more People think that Bron is a G.O.A.T and now Kobe is gone, so time now to make Last dance and let People believe again that MJ is better then Bron.
Thats what is all about!
Marketing and PR shit for MIKE.
BULLSHIT
i hate this commercials
5:44 man that shot from Toni was the shot of the game jheeeeze that was clutch 🔥🔥🔥🔥👊
How the fuck isn’t that shot in the last dance that was seriously insane, super fucking clutch. Blows my mind how slept on a player can be for so so long
@@xxxxxJAYMILLZxxxxxxx because they lost
B b buuut.... Last dance showed that Steve Kerr was the wite MJ and Kukoc was i quote that female reporer: classic european player.
Dude was a beast and carried so mamy games when Jordan or Pippen had bad nights
Exactly & they don't even make the finals if Toni doesn't go off for 21 in game 7 of the conference finals with 19 in the 3rd quarter.
Rick real fans know
Kukoc is definitely a classic European player that has the ability to do the clutch shot. That time, European players have a better scoring ability from outside and Kukoc is the European "MJ". The last shot of that night, it should be Toni's not MJ.
doko980629 in terms of offense he didn’t really have many flaws. Maybe could’ve been a bit stronger?
@@doko980629 Drazen Petrovic is European "MJ". Kukoc had excellent skills but he didn't have the mentality of a leader like Drazen. it's a pity we didn't see prime time Kukoc and Drazen in '96 IO.
Jordan intercepting the inbounds pass for Kukoc on the last play. Wow. Talk about being selfish.
MJ is a sociopathic POS
Bogdan P fuck you, bitch. No one is talking about Lebron. Just how selfish Jordan was/is.
@G C The was a stupid shot considering Toni was a much better 3 point shooter & had just made a similar shot moments before... Pippen tried to do the same thing to him too years prior but failed miserably by not going back into the game.
@ MAN UTD ulul
@M Soccer is the most popular globally...but its not "important". No sport is "important" and the enthusiasm for such a simple game is baffling.
Whoever directed the last dance is an absolute clown for leaving this out. Making a whole episode for minor role player Steve Kerr instead of STARTER Toni Kukoc or Ron Harper for that matter.
Kukoc is so freaking clutch great shooter no wonder pip was mad he knew kukoc was better
Yup, this is what you get when Jordan directs his own show. The real fans know the story. Kukoc played a big role in the Bulls, they just never liked him much for some twisted reason. Thanks to the uploader, great timing my friend.
Jordan also needed Kukoč off court to win the first golf tournament years back too.
@@pper2428 lol that I didn't know 👍
Kukoc could NOT BE STOPPED 🔥🔥🔥
But he choked that one free throw.
Un máquina, que grandes jugadores dio la antigua Yugoslavia, de lo mejorcito de europa.
Златен Тони- Шампион! Да си жив и здрав!!!
Toni legenda 💪
6 rings of michael jordan wouldn't be possible without his team mates
No KUKOC no 3 peat. Real fans know KUKOC would of scored that game winner!!! My boy Toni got snaked soooo bad.
Cha'mon you acting like Toni was automatic....Toni was great but acting like he can't hit anything
Toni was awesome, but that would've been an extremely difficult shot
Jeffrey 773 you seriously can’t discredit Toni for being a clutch specialist. There’s a reason why he made those.. he has the blood of a champion/winner, in a way he was like Jordan but he would do anything to win man.
@@xxxxxJAYMILLZxxxxxxx so then alot of players were like Jordan by your logic......again Toni was great and was part of the big 4
R Garcia look at all his game winning shots, not a single one was easy. Another day in the office for toni
Very underrated player. Best European player at the time.
one of the best
@@rb9888 After Petrovic's death and before Nowitzki came in the league, Toni was the best one in NBA for sure with all due respect to others.
@@ComptGeorges in that time probably yes.
before petrovic there was nikos gallis ;-)
nobody could stop him
what about Sabonis?
Sabonis is amazing center. But I believe he was passed his prime at the time.
Dude was unreal
kukoc always reminds me of hugh jackman. The best sixth man ever in NBA
Kukoc would have killed it in today’s nba.
Yes. Toni came in 20 yrs too early. It was real physical still back then. Today he'd be a star and a tough cover with the soft defenses and open space.
And people say he doesn’t belong in the HoF. Casuals. This guy was luka before there was luka
The Croatian sensation
Toni the best Europe player 😁
Wow I'm surprised I missed this in The Last Dance
MJ should've been a decoy and set a pick for Kukoc's man to set him free.
Yes, this would have been a good play
If only I could give you 50 thumbs up for this video!
Toni manage to patch ...allmost any holle in a Bulls games.
He was allweys there...highly relaeble...to getter all of them on a path of wining
Such a different...so unique player.
🙂👍🍀
A lot more players on that Chicago team worth being mentioned & honored, I understand "The Last Dance' is all about MJ, but those role players all got personalities and their own stories, lets make sure not forget about them, can't build a great team without these guys.
he was way too good!!
I'll take Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Kukoc, and Harper any day of the week.
Pippen and Jordan didn't want him on the team!
LOVE TONI KUKOC, IM A BIG FAN OF HIM
PRIDE OF CROATIA SAME AS DRAZEN ❤❤
Dpazen Petrovič ist Jugoslavija!! 😋
@@rimasg1652 IST KROATZIEN IST HRVATSKA UND IST HRVAT.
@@jukacyborg8339 OK :)
Ai ist lithuania aim heit Dzordzevič 40 point👹
@@rimasg1652 DRAZEN KROATZIEN HRVATSKA HRVAT.
This, the game at home against the Lakers in ‘97, and Game 7 vs. Indiana are the top Kukoc games that come to mind for me. He should be in the HOF, in my opinion.
Isn't he?
@@Noctifern now he is. When I wrote this, he wasn’t in the hall. Definitely long overdue.
iirc he outscored the entire Bulls team by 2:1 in 3rd quarter of the game 7 finals vs Indiana!
Saved MJ's ass
IS now hall of fame ! My favorite european players all Time with petro radja and divac
The memories are still alive after 25 years. Vivid thanks to youtube. Great NBA basketball, more so for Bulls fans. This team had five Hall of Famers:
- MJ
- Pippen
- Rodman
- Kukoc
- Kerr (will become a HOF, if not for playing then his coaching; he remains the NBA's career all time 3 point % leader)
He was the piece they were missing. Great on the offense. Had they stayed together they could have won atleast 2 more championships.
Toni is 3rd best Bulls player of that generation.
Kids now days doesnt understand how good Kukoc was....
he was a solid stretch 4 and got good handle and was clutch in the crunch....
He wasnt that good
@@vamoneygroup you're obviously clueless kiddo lol.
brilliant!
Watching this great game again from Toni makes me see that his game was effortless and pure genius! Leaving him out almost completely of the LAST DANCE was completely ridiculous. MJ'S last shot in game 6 maybe would not have happened if Toni got the LAST SHOT here!
Yeah, Carmen Electra had more screen time than Toni.
Maybe
0.8 left on the clock. Was a slim chance ANYONE is making this shot
@@CanuckQuest A 3 pointer with that little time is extremely difficult to get off in time, let alone a good look...
I never understood why Toni didn't get the final shot with such a great Performance. Probably because MJ wanted to be the hero one more time even though Toni was the best man in Game 5. They lost only through Jordan´s selfishness.
Last play was drawn for Toni, you could see MJ run right in front of KUKOC to steal the shot, it was blatant
Finally he's in the hall of fame
2:37 does the drazen petrovic 👌
I've said it before and I strongly believe if Toni was in an identical situation as luka doncic he would have destroyed triple double records and would have been MVP a few years and all time great. He came over a little late too and he never was in the position of ball handler and starter he deserved in chicago and had to fit the role which included them adding weight which also was detrimental to his style of play to showcase his skills.
Yep, if he were to be in the position like he was in Jugoplastika or Benetton, NBA would know his name. NBA treated Euro players as if they were nothing back then. Little did they knew that the size of Toni's IQ and court vision were bigger than their muscle.
CB was the team he wanted to play with and it didn't matter to him that he had to underused his talents. But for me as a fan, playing under the shadow of MJ in Bulls wasn't good, I wanted the whole world to know how good he actually was, how much he could do damage to opponents if they put him as a fix starting lineup cos he was phenomenal in Europe, and I mean it. Even in Bulls, he was crucial in many games but noone gives a shit because all that matter was Jordan. And the thing is, though they sent Toni out to play when it was crucial like half an hour or less in some games; he dribbled, he pass, and scored like he had been on the court all along. But all these didn't matter because the media and almost everyone in the industry just turned the blind eye like a coward who couldn't accept that Toni was a great player. It's the arrogance at its best.
@@panther7681 ya in some ways it showed how really great he was to still perform so well under such circumstances.
His average points were what they were because of that. They'd put him in and he would go on fire alot and then they would pull him.
If he played as a starter and was the ball handler and had a good supporting cast he would have hit triple doubles all the time and would be one of the NBAs leading scorers
@@klitschkobrosfan So true! Yet still, Naismith has not done justice to Toni. I don't know why they put those players that shouldn't be there inducted, and that only made me sceptical about their process, like seriously ........on that wall? You've gotta be kidding me. According to Pippen, he was shocked that Naismith inducted some players that should not be there, and he believes Toni should be inducted up there with him. Maybe of Naismith's pure ignorance or they couldn't disect his impressive scores even with limited play times in many games? Or was it because Toni already received many international awards, and they could not stand to have him more decorated than theirs?? Because when you release the shark into the tank, I know the game is on. Cos Toni's nature is to attack, he always belong there.
But whatever it is, to me, even without Naismith, all the accolades Toni received, look better than any other world famous players I've known, because it has more of international levels and he represented his country/regions so many times and that is something to be proud of. It is not only just the numbers of awards, it's the kind of award and what it represents that made it special.
And also, nothing related, just to say that Toni Kukoc leads me to want to know more about war in that region, and man!..it is like a war within a war, so complicated!!!! Lol.
@@klitschkobrosfan Nonsense
@@panther7681 Nonsense
mj that play is for kukoc, selfish jordan
God these two teams where amazing. I loved the bulls and jazz and really wish they had split a series. HOW Stockton and Malone never got a ring is criminal
I am a bulls fan. But more of a Basketball fan I believe. After that 98 final. I felt really bad for Stockton and Malone. Somehow my eyes covered with tears.
Somewhere in Deep inside of my heart told me that they deserved at least 1 championship. At That moment I realized i am a bulls fan, and also a huge BASKETBALL fan.
Really loved Stockton and Malone plays. It Looked so simple and 100% effective. But externally hard to execute. Those two were the one hell of a DUO!
Stockton was the best pg in the history of basketball. He easily averaged 12+ assists per game. I was a pg too. And watched his game occasionally. He was the greatest.
And also i really loved Rod Strickland. so underrated player. One of the greatest pgs of all time, imo. These two guys were my idols . I’d say Andre Miller’s play was similar to them.
Gotta mention my baller Kenny Anderson . He was the real deal. A pioneer of “street” baller and flashy/fancy moves. But at that time, nba and basketball fans weren’t ready for that imo.
Tony kukok is GREAT!!
This game is totally underrated. Tony should have taken that last shot--Pippen and Jordan were ice cold. Wow-glad I saw this and glad Tony just got put in the hall of fame -
Toni should be in HOF. Last Dance made him look like a chump with that Dream Team bullshit. Dude was tough and clutch
We who watched know it.
EVERYBODY KNEW that Toni should have taken the last shot!!!!👍🏽🤪
Yeah....9/25 and You still go with Jordan for winner... thats why it was so hard for Toni to get his 'spot' and show his real capability... and stayed a little bit unrecognized..
The play was designed for Kukoc, Phil Jackson has admitted this. Kukoc was blazing hot and was the only player who had an positve +/- that game for the Bulls. Jordan quite literally stole the ball that was meant from Kukoc. Imagine if in the NBA Finals, Ty Lue wrote up a play for Kyrie Irving and Lebron James stole the ball and airballed it...He would be ripped apart. But somehow if it's Jordan it's fine.
@@salvagaming4678 had to rewind that scene... wow... ball was coming to Toni and Jordan just stole it...
I guess he could not allow Toni to steal headlines...
Games like this were common for Toni in Europe... In Bulls - just didn't have the licence...
Jordan was and is perceived at GOAT, but he will never ever and ever be the role model. What a selfish and jerk move! I was a Bull's fan, never missed a game, MJ was a good scorer cos' the games were designed that way for him, for his stats. What you see in Last Dance was unreal. Unreal that they managed to cut out the portion where Kukoc helped throughout seasons, and he had been phenomenal. I wouldn't call MJ GOAT, cos that would mean I lower my standard. Sorry for being rude, but it is what it is.
For what it's worth, the word 'underrated' is still underrated for a player like Toni.
@@simepanda6764 I guess this was a win-win situation for MJ, take the shot he was not supposed to take and either be the hero if he makes it or a new game if he misses. In any case, better than to have Toni as the hero, in MJ's mind . 😕
Kukoc was great could have been a multiple all-star in other teams. But he was also inconsistent - he find have that day to day consistency of being a superstar in the NBA but he had the ability as shown by games like tonight. But I think he didn't want it and was content on being a role player to Pippen and MJ.
I feel if kukoc had more touches in the ball he would be more legendary than before.
What a nice shot from the 3p line
just imagine if Toni had made that last shot, history will be forever changed...last shot would've never happened...
He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
He's now in the Hall of Fame.
Whenever Pippen or MJ had a bad offensive game, it was usually Kukoc who picked up the slack with his shooting. If MJ, Pippen and Rodman were the big 3 of the Bulls, the 4th would be Kukoc. In the last year, the commentators sometimes put Kukoc as part of the big 3 because of Kukoc’s offensive contribution.
But documentaries would portray as if Jordan did it all by himself lol
to be fair, kukoč is part of the big two, together with jordan. then rodman. pippen is somewhere around 6th or 7th, a decent role player, nothing more.
This is true
Most ppl have no idea Kukoc was really like that... which is weird bc there was a documentary about this team
I remeber that final like it was yesterday game 5