oni Kukoč will get his long await Hall call on September 11, when the Chicago Bulls great is scheduled to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021 via the International Committee.T
Presenting Kukoč during the enshrinement ceremony will be Michael Jordan and Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, the Hall of Fame announced Wednesday:
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The late Jerry Krause drafted Kukoč in the second round of the 1990 NBA Draft, and after years of courting, “The Waiter” joined the Bulls stateside in advance of the 1993-94 season — the first year of Jordan’s mid-career retirement.
Kukoč averaged 14.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists across seven seasons with the franchise, winning Sixth Man of the Year during their 72-win 1995-96 campaign and playing an integral role in the second three-peat.
His international playing career, which featured three EuroLeague titles (and Final Four MVPs), a FIBA World Championship and EuroBasket MVP apiece, and multiple European league titles, was even more decorated, adding to his resume as an International Committee selection.
Jordan and Scottie Pippen’s torturous treatment of Kukoč during the preliminary round of the 1992 Olympics serves as a reminder that his joining of the Bulls wasn’t universally celebrated. But over the years, Kukoč earned their respect and authored multiple iconic moments in Bulls lore — a game-winner in the 1994 playoffs against the Knicks and a 21-point performance in Game 7 of the 1998 Eastern Conference finals against the Pacers chief among them.
