In the ’90s, red and black ruled the court. The Bulls racked up two three-peats: from 1991 to 1993 and from 1996 to 1998, and the names that immediately pop up? Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Later, during the second three-peat run, Dennis Rodman was added to the list. Similarly, there was yet another name that got lost among the big stars: Toni Kukoc. But Pippen made sure to give him his due while drawing an interesting parallel to a similar situation with Kevin Durant on the Warriors.

In an interview with El País Sports, Scottie Pippen reflected on his time with Toni Kukoc, dating back to their 1992 Dream Team matches against Croatia. Kukoc joined the Bulls in 1993, yet he never fully basked in the spotlight. Scottie Pippen said:

“I think it was hard for him to get all the credit he maybe deserved. It was a similar thing with Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors. He was a champion there, always playing at an MVP level, but that was Steph, Klay, and Draymond’s team. It was a similar thing for Toni in Chicago. By the time he arrived, we were already established as a team. You can’t say he didn’t help us win, but he probably gave up some personal greatness in exchange for sacrificing for us and taking a few steps back.”

For the Gen Z crowd, the best way to understand Kukoc’s situation is truly to look at Kevin Durant with the Warriors. KD joined Golden State in 2016 and helped the team win championships in 2017 and 2018. But let’s be honest, the spotlight was always on Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. And rightfully so. This trio was unstoppable! But Durant, too, had his part.

Before Klay’s move to the Mavericks last year, Curry, Thompson, and Green had become the 13th trio in NBA history to win at least 400 regular-season games together, holding a 400-143 record (.736) and nearly 500 total wins, including playoffs. They reached six NBA Finals together, five in a row from 2015 to 2019, and racked up 18 All-Star selections, 13 All-NBA nods, and nine All-Defensive honors in just 10 seasons. Along the way, they hit milestone after milestone.

So, it was easy for fans to overlook Kevin Durant, even though he was putting up huge numbers. Still, Durant got his share of headlines. Both years, he walked away holding the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP trophy, while his superstar teammates Curry, Thompson, and Green watched. In 2018, when Curry broke Ray Allen’s record for most three-pointers in a Finals game, many thought the MVP would go to him, but Durant pulled a surprise.

In Game 3, against the Cleveland Cavaliers, when Curry struggled, Durant stepped up big. He put up a playoff career-high 43 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists. KD’s run with the Warriors saw impressive numbers. He averaged 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists across 208 games. But it came with sacrifices. Durant admitted, “I sacrificed a lot of s— to be here and to change my game up to be with these guys,” reflecting on the adjustments he made to fit into Golden State’s system. Did he regret it?

Not at all. “And it was worth it,” he added. Former Warriors guard Quinn Cook, who played alongside Durant on those championship teams, noted that Durant’s focus was often on helping Stephen Curry shine, ensuring he secured his first Finals MVP while Durant himself had already won the award the year before. He later signed with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 when he hit free agency. That year, he said:

“I’ll never be one of those guys. I didn’t get drafted there… Steph Curry, obviously drafted there. Andre Iguodala, won the first Finals, first championship. Klay Thompson, drafted there. Draymond Green, drafted there. And the rest of the guys kind of rehabilitated their careers there. So me? S—, how you going to rehabilitate me? What you going to teach me? How can you alter anything in my basketball life? I got an MVP already. I got scoring titles.”

Durant felt that even though the team welcomed him, the media always labeled it as “KD and the Warriors” instead of just the Warriors. That constant media speculation made him question whether he was truly the right fit in the puzzle.

Scottie Pippen’s Toni Kukoc recall reminds his impact on the Bulls’ dynasty

By the time Toni Kukoc had joined the Bulls in 1993, the team had already made its mark in the NBA. But Kukoc was a star in his own right. The former Sixth Man of the Year fit seamlessly into Phil Jackson’s Triangle Offense, adding another scoring threat alongside Pippen and Jordan. Before arriving in Chicago, he was Europe’s version of Michael Jordan.

By 22, he had already won the EuroLeague titles multiple times, considered the toughest competition outside the U.S., and had collected six medals with the Yugoslav and Croatian national teams, including three FIBA golds. Yet, despite all this, Kukoc often got lost in the shadow of the Bulls, like Durant in the Warriors.

NBA veteran Dickey Simpkins is also of the same opinion. “…I think that Toni Kukoc might be the most underrated star on those championship teams,” Simpkins said. He highlighted Kukoc’s versatility, scoring, passing, and just being an all-around teammate as reasons why the Croatian star didn’t get talked about enough.

Even with his talents, Kukoc had to play second fiddle to legends. During the Bulls’ historic 72-10 season, he embraced the Sixth Man role and even won the Sixth Man of the Year award, averaging 13.1 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists across 81 games. But when Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman were all on the court, starting wasn’t really an option. Kukoc wanted more, sure, but he accepted his role because he understood the bigger picture that winning mattered more than personal glory.

But like Kevin Durant in Golden State, Kukoc was happy to play alongside legends. He even famously skipped his own wedding night to watch a Bulls game against the Suns in 1993. In 1994-95, he started 55 games, but with Jordan returning and Rodman joining, he had to embrace the Sixth Man role. 

Kukoc admitted, “Phil always said it wasn’t important who started the game, it was important who played that last quarter.” He put the team above himself. Despite stellar stats and a strong case for an All-Star nod, only Jordan and Pippen made it that year. Kukoc’s contributions were vital, but recognition? Not always.