Toni Kukoc highlights importance of Scottie Pippen to Bulls

Toni Kukoc was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday night, 15 years after his retirement from basketball.

As a three-time NBA champion and arguably the best or second-best player of the early 90s in Europe, his track record is beyond reproach. Not only does Kukoc deserve the honor, but there is a fair case to be made that it should’ve happened earlier.

In the lead-up to Saturday’s Hall of Fame induction, Kukoc spoke openly regarding his time with the Chicago Bulls. Although it wasn’t without hiccups, and despite some notable run-ins with Michael Jordan, he seems to look back on the time fondly.

That said, Jordan was not his favorite teammate during that Bulls stint. Rather, that distinction belongs to Scottie Pippen.

“I always say Michael probably was the best player,” Kukoc said, per Sam Smith of NBA.com. “Scottie, to me, was as important as Michael. Because of that idea that Scottie was taking care of the whole team and was guarding people. He would bring the ball up and would find the right people and then for Michael it was, ‘OK, take us home.’”

During his speech on Saturday, Kukoc made it a point to shout out both Jordan and Pippen.