Steve Kerr: Jordan, Pippen Were 'All Over' Toni Kukoc for Being Krause's 'Guy'

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen's resentment toward former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause is well-trodden territory, especially after it was an extended subject of The Last Dance. 

But the two stars' distaste for Krause also extended to forward Toni Kukoc, who was viewed as "Krause's guy" in the locker room. 

"I said a toast to Toni [Kukoc]," Steve Kerr told ESPN's Zach Lowe, recalling a final team meal after the 1998 NBA Finals. "Nobody had to go through what he did—the pressure from Michael [Jordan] and Scottie [Pippen] to earn his keep. Michael and Scottie are all over him about being Jerry [Krause]'s guy. And Toni just [wanted] to play. And so I just said a toast to Toni, because I thought he was such a great player. I wanted him to know how much he meant to our team."

The Bulls drafted Kukoc in the second round of the 1990 NBA draft at the insistence of Krause, who "lusted" after the skilled Croatian. He did not come over to the United States until 1993 after years of coaxing from the Bulls. 

Krause's love of Kukoc was so well known in Bulls circles that Jordan and Pippen argued over who would get to guard him in the 1992 Olympics because they wanted to send a message to the general manager. Kukoc was held to four points on 2-of-11 shooting in his first matchup against his future Bulls teammates. 

Arriving as the best European player on the planet—with a higher salary than Pippen—tensions and verbal barbs were instant. Kukoc said he never took the criticism from Jordan and Pippen personally, knowing it was related to their hatred of Krause.

"I understood I would have to earn respect," Kukoc said. "I was coming to the best team in the world. You have to put aside all your accolades and pride. It doesn't matter if you were good in Europe. I was OK with that."

Eventually, Jordan and Pippen embraced Kukoc once they realized what he could bring to the team. Kukoc said Pippen became a mentor, particularly as it came to improving his defense. The trio won three championships together, and Kukoc was named the 1996 NBA Sixth Man of the Year for his efforts. He was, perhaps more than any other player on the Bulls roster, a better fit for the modern game than the rougher and slower pace of 90s basketball.