"Turns out half of Chicago was sitting behind our bench" - Toni Kukoc on how big of a phenomenon the Bulls were in their prime

“Turns out half of Chicago was sitting behind our bench” – Toni Kukoc on how big of a phenomenon the Bulls were in their prime originally appeared on Basketball Network.

Today, when people talk about ideal NBA destinations, cities like Los Angeles, Miami, Boston and New York are always mentioned. Some because of their historical success, others because of the bright lights and glamor of the city itself.

But Chicago certainly belongs in that category too — especially after the arrival of Michael Jordan’s generation. Before that, in their first 16 years of existence, the Chicago Bulls had made the playoffs only six times and reached the Conference Finals once in 1975.

The Windy City, also known as the “City of the Big Shoulders,” was built on the backs of the working class. It wasn’t exactly a dream destination for young athletes chasing money and fame. But everything changed in 1984. After some early rebuilding, the Bulls went on to win six championships in six Finals appearances. Jordan and Scottie Pippen formed what is arguably the most dominant duo in basketball history, and even today, the Bulls carry that legendary aura.

Toni Kukoc, a key member of the second three-peat, described it best in an interview with Index.hr.

“For someone like me, who was nobody compared to Michael, people still come up to me and say, ‘Do you remember me? I was sitting in the third row behind your bench, seat number 7.’ What am I supposed to say? When you hear stories like that every day, it feels like half of Chicago was sitting behind our bench, and the whole arena only holds 20,000 people,” Kukoc recalled.

Kukoc couldn’t stay immune to the Bulls phenomenon

The madness that gripped Chicago for a full decade during Jordan’s reign is still felt to this day. The season before Kukoc joined the Bulls, the team was already a global sensation. Kukoc himself was not unknown, as he was already one of Europe’s greatest players. On the international level, he had won numerous medals with both the Yugoslavian and Croatian national teams. At the club level, he had played in four straight EuroLeague finals, winning three consecutive titles.

Yet even Kukoc couldn’t stay immune to the Bulls phenomenon. His wife Renata once shared an anecdote from their wedding that perfectly captured how deep his obsession ran.

“I know how much he loved Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen and watching the Bulls. I mean, even on our wedding night,” said Renata.

“The night we were getting married, I said, ‘We guys can party till 3 o’clock. And then there’s a game against Phoenix on TV. So, that’s when we’ll all go home,'” Toni added.

Jordan took NBA into the stratosphere

It’s hard to put into words what kind of movement Phil Jackson’s Bulls represented at the time. After Magic Johnson and Larry Bird put the NBA on the world map in the ’80s, Jordan took it into the stratosphere.

To this day, stories of that legendary generation continue to circulate. And even now, the most common jersey seen on playgrounds around the world is red, with the number 23 and the name Jordan across the back.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.

“Turns out half of Chicago was sitting behind our bench” – Toni Kukoc on how big of a phenomenon the Bulls were in their prime

Tags: