“Like cheating the Devil, or God” – Phil Jackson on the championship-winning play MJ stole from Kukoc in ’98 originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Game 5 of the 1998 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz did not play out the way Phil Jackson wanted it to. With 0.8 seconds left and the Bulls down 83-81, Coach Jackson drew a catch-and-shoot 3-point play for Toni Kukoc, but the ball ended up in Michael Jordan’s hands.
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As expected, Jordan threw a haymaker from deep and awfully missed. Despite being down 1-3, the Jazz survived Game 5, but MJ and the Bulls closed the series out in Game 6 to complete their second three-peat.
Shortly after the championship win, Jackson looked back at that final play in Game 5 that could’ve ended the series in Chicago. For the Zen Master, it felt as if Jordan intentionally stole the moment from Kukoc.
“As much as I wanted Michael to have that crowning glory, I figured it was a wonderful time to use him as a decoy,” Phil said in an as-told-to piece with Rick Telander for ESPN The Magazine, published a month after the Finals. “And Michael wasn’t bothered by that.”
“[Jordan] He was the mistress of the moment, and he was fascinated by it,” Jackson said. “If that had been the winning shot, it would have been like cheating the Devil or God.”
MJ never doubted Kukoc’s ability to take the last shot
On that particular play, Bulls guard Ron Harper, who inbounded the ball, later stated that he couldn’t see Toni as Jazz’s 7’2″ center Greg Ostertag was blocking him. However, it was hard to tell if that’s really what happened, as the replay shows Michael swiftly running in front of Croatian and receiving the ball from Harp.
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Whatever the case was, if it went in, it would’ve been the final shot of MJ’s career. Moreover, Jackson would’ve been right; if it was indeed Jordan’s last shot, it would be known as the play he stole from Kukoc as well.
However, what remained a fact was that Phil had always known Toni had the ability to hit the game-winning shot. Even Michael himself recognized that in Croatian. In fact, MJ even once predicted that Kukoc would be the one hitting the game-winning shot in the Bulls’ playoff game against the New York Knicks when he was playing baseball in 1994.
“I told them, ‘You don’t have to tell me. Kukoc is going to take the shot, and they’re going to win.’ I predicted the whole scenario,” Mike said. “One thing I did see in Kukoc was that he was the only guy out there with the confidence to take the game-winning shot. He didn’t worry about the pros and cons.”
Kukoc is a true Bulls legend
Toni may not have attained Michael’s iconic status, but he undoubtedly holds a special place in the hearts of the Bulls faithful as a true legend of the franchise. Coach Jackson always recognized Kukoc’s exceptional versatility and basketball IQ, which made him an invaluable asset during the Bulls’ remarkable second three-peat in the ’90s.
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Some believed Kukoc was ahead of his time, as he was among the first great international players in the NBA. Even to this day, loyal Chicago fans still celebrate Toni’s legacy. They acknowledge his contributions to the team’s success during that golden era of the Bulls dynasty.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.