Ready or Not, Kukoc Figures Prominently in Bulls’ Plans

That day in Barcelona when the Dream Team went out to stuff him, Toni Kukoc decided he wanted to play in the United States.

“After that game, I knew I had a bad game,” Kukoc says. “But I knew I could play better.

“After that game, I decide to come here. I want to show to myself first. It’s a big challenge for everybody, especially for myself, like, let’s say, a good European player, maybe one of the best European players, to come here and prove that I can play good here.”

Kukoc (pronounced KOO-coach) was the very best European player, a 25-year-old, 6-foot-10 Croat with a guard’s skills.

He made $4 million last year with Benetton Treviso and took a $1.75-million cut in pay to make the jump.

By the time he got here, Michael Jordan was gone. Kukoc was preceded by a huge publicity bubble, although he had nothing to do with it, and faces more expectations than any emigrating European player has had to deal with.

Kukoc, trying to acclimate, is in his first month and looks it.

“It’s going to be a while for him,” says Chicago Coach Phil Jackson, who recently has mentioned using journeyman Pete Myers as starter in Jordan’s spot. “We’re hoping we can help him (Kukoc) out by not having to play him as a starter right away. But with the loss of that kind of player he represents, we may have to start him and put (Scottie) Pippen at two-guard.”

Teammates kid Kukoc about his struggles. Horace Grant, asked the Bulls’ biggest challenge, said it was teaching Kukoc to play defense. Kukoc, an amiable young man, smiles and endures.

“I think it’s still not my game, the way I can play,” he says. “I’m missing some easy shots. I think it’s going to be better.”

Says Portland scout Brad Greenberg: “Given a few months to gain some NBA experience, he’ll develop into a very important NBA player. I think in his third season, he’ll be considered an all-star candidate.”

Meanwhile, he will have a few months to remember, or forget.