Toni Kukoc recently spoke with the Serbian outlet ‘Sport Klub’, where he shared a hilarious story about meeting Dennis Rodman at Michael Jordan‘s Hall of Fame induction, where Rodman couldn’t recognize Kukoc.
“I have one good funny anecdote. We were at Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. There was Jerry Reinsdorf, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and myself. And I see he’s talking with Scottie, but with me, he’s so and so. Whatever I said to him, he responded quickly and turned around.”
Kukoc would then confront Rodman about the lukewarm conversation,
“I asked him: ‘Dennis, do you know who am I?’ And he told me, ‘To be completely honest, I’m not sure.’ Then I said, ‘Toni.’ And then Rodman said, ‘I thought you were a Jewish lawyer’, and then we all laughed.”
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Rodman’s lack of awareness in that situation is hilarious, but it’s clear he was also trying to be cautious in such a public setting and not overindulge in conversation with someone he assumed to be a non-player.
Various members of the Bulls rosters who had won a title alongside Michael Jordan were invited to his Hall of Fame induction, as most of the players from the 3-peat teams made an appearance, including Scottie Pippen, Kukoc, and Rodman. In all the years since that 2009 induction, it seems relations between the various Bulls players have worsened, heightened by the public rivalry between Pippen and Jordan.
Kukoc and Rodman weren’t best friends, but the pair respected each other on the court during their three seasons together in Chicago. Kukoc averaged 13.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists over that spell, while Rodman averaged 5.2 points, 15.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.
Toni Kukoc Couldn’t Party With Dennis Rodman After His First Time
Despite spending three seasons alongside one of the most notorious party animals in NBA history, Toni Kukoc could only deal with a ‘Dennis Rodman night’ only once in his career, revealing he needed 10 days to recover from just that one night.
“There were four of us out, and the first thing he ordered for a drink was 40 shots of vodka and ten beers. I asked him if there are more people coming, and he just said it’s important to keep the bar open. Everybody who was at the bar that night had free food and drinks on Rodman. It’s a special type of story, and I couldn’t keep up with him. I partied only once with him because, after that, you need a 7 to 10 days recovery period.”
Rodman’s party stories are legendary, many of which Kukoc saw play out in the Bulls locker room. None of that stopped these players from taking care of business when they needed to, as indicated by the three titles they won from 1996 to 1998.
Rodman is highly appreciated for his contributions to the Chicago Bulls, but Kukoc’s name has been forgotten at times. While he wasn’t a player whose jersey would be retired by the Bulls, he’s a legend and was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor earlier this season.
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