Bulls Finally Sign 6-11 Croatian Guard Kukoc : Pro basketball: The three-time European player of the year was selected by Chicago during the 1990 draft.

The Chicago Bulls signed Toni Kukoc, three-time European player of the year, Monday after a three-year courtship.

The 6-foot-11 Kukoc will team with Michael Jordan in the backcourt. Despite his height, Kukoc is more skilled as a ballhandler and a shooter than as a rebounder, and the Bulls envision him pushing the ball upcourt and making plays similar to those by forward Scottie Pippen.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Jerry Krause, Bull vice president, said of signing the 24-year-old Croatian, who was chosen in the 1990 draft. “It’s going to make our basketball team better.”

Added Bull Coach Phil Jackson: “I think we can run more with Toni, look to generate more offense, feature an up-tempo game a little more.”

The Bulls did not release the financial details of the contract, but it reportedly is worth as much as $17.6 million over eight years.

Last month, the Italian team Benetton Treviso released Kukoc from a contract that would have expired in 1995. A clause in the reported $15.3-million deal let him break it after two seasons.

Kukoc wishes it could have been sooner so he could have shared in the Bulls’ three consecutive title drives.

“It must have been a great feeling for them,” he said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be with them, but I think this is not the end of Chicago winning.

“I will work every day preparing for a championship. But I don’t know so much about the NBA game. I have to learn everyday.”

Kukoc averaged 17.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists in helping Benetton to second place in the European Club Championship and the Italian League.

He won two Olympic silver medals, one with Yugoslavia in 1988 and one with Croatia in 1992.

In the 1992 championship game against the United States, he scored 16 points and had nine assists and five rebounds.

“On defense, this is where Toni is a novice,” Jackson said. “He needs to work on strength and stamina.”

That will start today with strength training, conditioning and instruction in the Bulls’ system.

“Three months before the season is not enough to become a good NBA player, but it’s a start,” Kukoc said, noting he would have to adjust to a new style of play.

“The game here is harder, more physical, faster” than in Europe, he said.

Also, the three-point line is 3 feet 2 inches farther from the basket. But Kukoc said that won’t affect his outside shooting.

“Just push a little more, but still in,” said Kukoc, who made 42% of his three-point attempts (102-244) in two years with Benetton.