"For us in soccer, what Messi means is Michael Jordan in basketball" - Ivan Rakitic discusses the impact of the two superstars on their respective sports with former Chicago Bulls player Toni Kukoč
Former Chicago Bulls forward Toni Kukoč recently came out and talked about the comparisons between NBA legend Michael Jordan and football superstar Lionel Messi. Kukoč, who serves as Special Advisor to the Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, has drawn parallels between these two great sporting personalities.
Speaking to football star Ivan Rakitić, the Bulls legend talked about how influential Michael Jordan was for the Chicago-based team. He said:
"I do in a way see Messi being Michael and Michael being Messi, but everybody knows soccer and basketball are team sports and you do need all the teammates and all the coaches on the same page in order to achieve these high goals".
He reiterated the importance of teammates during the Chicago Bulls dynasty:
"Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were very aware what the teammates bring to the table and how important each individual is to the success of the team. It might not be in 35-40 minutes, but those 5-10 minutes they would come in, they would bring something special, something that was needed in order to win the game".
Ivan Rakitić spoke and also drew comparisons between Michael Jordan and Lionel Messi. He said:
For us in soccer, what Leo Messi means it is Michael Jordan in basketball, i think, and just to be a part of it, both of these guys know without the team behind them, they will never get what they did in their career.
How good were Toni Kukoč and Michael Jordan together?
Michael Jordan and Toni Kukoč were teammates from the middle of the 1994-95 season as Michael Jordan would return after announcing his retirement after winning his third championship in 1993. Michael Jordan and Toni Kukoč would go on to be teammates till Jordan decided to retire once again in 1998. His Airness and Kukoč won three championships together along with the likes of Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and others, as the Chicago Bulls three-peated from 1995-96 season to the end of 1997-98 campaign.
“I don’t think there is a better person than Michael Jordan to stand beside me tomorrow. Michael has impacted my life in every way possible.” – Toni Kukoc #21HoopClass https://t.co/dhxC4G9GA1
Michael Jordan during those three years was named Finals MVP on all three occasions as well as winning the regular season MVP in two instances - 1996 and 1998. Kukoč, meanwhile, was named the Sixth Man of the Year at the end of the 1995-96 season, en route to winning his first NBA Championship.
Michael Jordan is the only player in NBA history to retire immediately after winning an MVP award OR scoring title.
In fact, MJ's the only NBA, NFL, MLB or NHL player to retire immediately after winning an MVP award since Jim Brown did it following the 1965 season
#TheLastDance https://t.co/85y3LB3yFf
Michael Jordan, widely considered to be the greatest player in the history of the game, has often talked about the quality that Kukoč brought to the team. Kukoč, on the other hand, averaged 11.6 points, 3.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds while shooting better than 44% from the field and was known for his versatility and passing.