The Chicago Bulls team of the 1990s is widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA sides ever, with Hall of Famers like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman leading them to multiple championships. One man who rode that train of success by being part of the roster was Toni Kukoc, who recently reflected on the dynasty he was a part of.
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Kukoc was an integral part of the Bulls’ 1996, 1997, and 1998 titles. A former Sixth Man of the Year, the Croatian Sensation fit perfectly into Phil Jackson’s Triangle Offense and became another scoring threat alongside Pippen and Jordan.
But it wasn’t just the team’s ability to put the rock in the hoop. It was how well they communicated. Kukoc told EuroLeague that he is still enamored by how well Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman, in particular, would pass along information to each other on the court. It wasn’t just once in a while. It was on every single possession.
“What was fascinating to me was the way they communicate during the game, which I haven’t seen enough with a lot of teams. For some reason, they do not communicate. Maybe that’s the way they play, maybe that’s something inside the team. But these guys would talk every single detail before it actually happens. It prepares you in every single part and aspect of the game,” revealed Kukoc.
You don’t go 6-0 in the Finals by accident. The Bulls had Jackson at the helm, guiding them along the way, but there’s only so much a coach can do from the sideline. Jordan and Pippen were always ready to step up and wear the captain’s badge when the team needed it most.
“I could hear Scottie and Dennis talking behind me. They pretty much tell you the things that’s going to happen in the offense, where they are expecting you to be when you get the ball.”
“So you have this freedom knowing that they basically control the game, and once you pick that part of it and become a part of the team, you feel like, ‘Okay, I have control of what’s happening.’ And when you get that feeling, it’s all over the floor,” Kukoc added.
Again, the proof is in the pudding. The wildest part, though, is that this chemistry of communication existed only on the hardwood. Pippen himself once confirmed it.
Pippen and MJ never had a private dinner together
Many would assume that Jordan and Pippen’s organic synergy on the court meant they were close off it as well. That wasn’t remotely the case. In an older interview on NBA Soundbites, Pippen was once asked about golfing with MJ, an activity everyone knows Jordan loves.
“No,” responded Pippen about ever golfing with Jordan. This had the interviewer confused. He tried to change course and wondered if the two ever occasionally had dinner with each other.
“I mean, we may have like a pregame meal or something like that,” answered the six-time NBA champ at the time. Again, this didn’t sit right with the interviewer, so he made his question much more specific. “Scottie, stop it. You and Michael never had dinner together one one-on-one?”
“No. Never,” Pippen responded coldly. It didn’t seem to bother him at all. He knows what they accomplished together, and more importantly, he knows the legacy he has left behind. There was never a need for an off-the-court relationship with Jordan if he didn’t want one, and clearly, he didn’t. Teammates are forever. Friends come and go.
