The Chicago Bulls have signed a deal guaranteed to give opposing backcourts even more problems than they already have against Michael Jordan.
By signing 6-foot-11 Toni Kukoc, who can play guard and forward, to a deal reportedly worth as much as $17.6 million over eight years, the Bulls refused Monday to rest on past glory."I think we can run more with Toni, look to generate more offense, feature an up-tempo game a little more," Bulls coach Phil Jackson said. Another chilling prospect for opponents, coming from a coach who has won three straight NBA titles without Kukoc.
Despite his height, Kukoc (pronounced KOO-coach) is more skilled as a ballhandler and a shooter than as a rebounder, and the Bulls envision him pushing the ball upcourt and making plays similar to forward Scottie Pippen.
The Bulls drafted Kukoc in the second round of the 1990 draft. They hope the Croatian will be attracting fans long after Jordan and other current starters retire; at 24, he's five years younger than the average age of the starting lineup.
Last month, the Italian team Benetton Treviso released Kukoc from a contract that would have expired in 1995. A clause in the reported $15.3 million deal let him break it after two seasons.
Kukoc wishes it could have been sooner so he could have shared in the Bulls' title drives.
"It must have been a great feeling for them," he said. "I'm sorry I couldn't be with them, but I think this is not the end of Chicago winning."
That confidence mixes with humility.
"In Europe, I knew everything about what was good and what was bad about me. Here, I start like everything is bad."
Kukoc averaged 17.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists in helping Benetton to second place in the European Club Championship and the Italian League.
He won two Olympic silver medals, one with Yugoslavia in 1988 and one with Croatia in 1992. In the 1992 championship game against the United States, he scored 16 points and had nine assists and five rebounds.
"On defense, this is where Toni is a novice," Jackson said. "He needs to work on strength and stamina."
That was to start today with strength training, conditioning and instruction in the Bulls' system.
"Three months before the season is not enough to become a good NBA player, but it's a start," said Kukoc, noting he would have to adjust to a new style of play.
TV HIGHLIGHTS
Baseball: Cubs at Reds, WGN, 5:30 p.m.
Baseball: Cardinals at Braves, TBS, 5:35 p.m.
Boxing: Segura vs. Amparo, USA, 7 p.m.