Michael Jordan was a leader for the Chicago Bulls both on and off the court. During the 1996 regular season, Jordan was looking for his first NBA championship since his return from retirement. The Bulls found themselves without both Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. This pushed 6th man Kukoc into the starting lineup. The soft-spoken Croatian wore a pair of Air Jordans and was asked by Michael Jordan to not embarrass his shoes according to Sports Illustrated.
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Scottie Pippen was out with a back injury, while Dennis Rodman had been suspended for 6 games. Rodman had headbutted referee Ted Bernhardt, which meant that 6th man Kukoc was pushed into the starting lineup. Kukoc responded with some of his best-ever performances for the Chicago Bulls. He ended up holding on to a starting spot for the first three games of the Playoffs.
Michael Jordan once forced Toni Kukoc to step up in the absence of Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman
Kukoc wore a pair of Air Jordans, which prompted a warning from Michael Jordan. MJ asked Kukoc to not embarrass his shoes, something he heeded.
Kukoc responded by starting 20 of the 21 final regular season games. During this run, he averaged 18.1 points per game, with a season-best of 34 points coming against the Miami Heat.
Kukoc was able to raise his points average by 7.5 within the first 13 starts. He ended up becoming a part of the starting lineup in the playoff series against the Heat in round 1 and was dropped to the bench from game 4.
By then, the lanky Croatian had already done more than what Jordan had asked of him. According to Sports Illustrated, Kukoc claimed that it was the most comfortable he had felt on the court in a long time:
“‘This is the most comfortable I’ve felt on the floor for a long time,’ he says. The soft-spoken Kukoc, who often looks timid on the court, even had the temerity during his run as a starter to don a pair of Jordan’s Nike sneakers with the patent-leather trim. Jordan gave him his blessing, plus a warning: ‘Don’t embarrass my shoes.’ Kukoc hasn’t.”
Toni Kukoc’s presence proved beneficial for the entire team, especially at the United Center
Kukoc’s best performances invariably always came at the United Center. This was true even before the Rodman suspension and Pippen injury which forced him into the starting lineup.
The Bulls had recently moved to the United Center from the Chicago Stadium and had found trouble recreating the same atmosphere in their new home. Kukoc’s performances made the crowd more raucous, and the whole team responded.
Dennis Rodman promised to stay out of trouble for the rest of the season and had no problem in Kukoc starting even after his suspension was over. The Chicago Bulls lost just 1 of their final 16 games at the United Center and went on to win the NBA title as well.
