Michael Jordan recalls Toni Kukoc crying after learning about his retirement: "I felt guilty that I was taking that opportunity from him"

Michael Jordan recalls Toni Kukoc crying after learning about his retirement: “I felt guilty that I was taking that opportunity from him” originally appeared on Basketball Network.

Before Michael Jordan announced his retirement to the world on October 6, 1993, he first met with Chicago Bulls coaches and players. Many of them were stunned by his sudden decision to walk away from the game.

One of the guys inside that private room meeting at the Berto Center was Toni Kukoc, who arrived that fall for the start of the training camp. That was Toni’s first meeting with Michael, and it wasn’t how either of them had envisioned it.

“Toni Kukoc, whom I’ve never met at that time, came into this room, and when he broke down in tears, that really softened what I was really about to do because here’s this guy who’s showing emotions and he never had the opportunity to play with me. And I felt guilty that I was taking away an opportunity away from him,” said Jordan.

Toni’s title aspirations

Kukoc was the Bulls’ second-round pick in the 1990 NBA Draft. But instead of taking his talents overseas, the Croatian forward chose to continue playing in Italy for Benetton Treviso.

In 1993, “The Waiter” finally decided he was ready to play in the NBA, and in July of that year, he signed with the Bulls.

Although he was a big superstar in Europe, Kukoc — like everybody else — wanted to be Jordan’s teammate and learn from the best basketball player in the world. While he knew that he would be playing a diminished role on the Bulls, he still wanted the challenge of competing for NBA championships.

“I took the risk because I won everything,” said Kukoc. “There was a period of four or five years in Europe I won everything, four in a row national championships, three in row European championships, two European world championships with the national team. I won everything that could be and I was MVP in all of these. I said, ‘I can play with Michael, Scottie, these guys. So maybe I get a chance to win that one, too. So why not give it a chance a try and see if it will work?'”

It was worth the wait

While Jordan’s decision was a huge blow to Kukoc’s title aspirations, it also meant he would play a bigger role on the team than he initially expected.

With Scottie Pippen taking over as the No.1 option, Kukoc played significant minutes during his rookie year and was one of four Bulls players to average double-digit in scoring. The team, too, found surprising success, winning 55 games in the regular season. But they ultimately fell short in the playoffs, losing a seven-game second round matchup against the New York Knicks.

“Even without Michael, we did really well my first year,” recalled Kukoc. “If it wasn’t for a couple calls in New York, we had a chance to play in the Eastern Conference Finals. That first year was an exciting time for me personally. To be in the NBA and get deep into the playoffs was a good experience for me. But, for the rest of the team, it was a bummer to not win another championship.”

Kukoc finally got his chance to play with Jordan when the latter returned in 1995. During the 1995-96 season, the Croatian forward won the Sixth Man of the Year award while helping the Bulls win their fourth NBA championship.

After that, Kukoc didn’t win any more individual awards. However, he added two more titles with the Bulls in 1997 and 1998.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.

Michael Jordan recalls Toni Kukoc crying after learning about his retirement: “I felt guilty that I was taking that opportunity from him”

Tags: