Present at the Hall of Fame a few weeks ago to induct his ex-teammate Toni Kukoc, Michael Jordan left as soon as his mission was accomplished or almost. Why ? Kukoc revealed the reasons for this hasty departure, without resentment towards Her Majesty.
Say that Michael Jordan was there to induct you into the Hall of Fame, it’s still class. But that’s what Toni Kukoc can boast of, he who had MJ and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf by his side on the big night a few weeks ago. In doing so, His Airness kept his promise, which he swore to the Croatian in 2009 that he would induct him into the Hall of Fame when the time came.
The symbol is obviously beautiful, and makes it possible to highlight the too often forgotten role of Kukoc in the second three-peat of the Bulls between 1996 and 1998. But once the speech of the winger finished, those present on the spot had the surprise to see Jordan leave the room very quickly.
Michael Jordan quickly left the scene after inducting Toni Kukoc
So why ? In a Croatian media outlet, Kukoc revealed that MJ was quickly overwhelmed by worshipers, and that he preferred to set off rather than be bothered in such a context. And that, T-Kuk understands perfectly:
Michael came over to say hello to my wife and kids, and in the middle of the conversation, someone came over, put their son in his hands, and started taking pictures. What was he supposed to do? He took the picture, and someone else immediately walked in and jumped on him. I saw he was annoyed and didn’t want it to last any longer.
An international superstar, Jordan struggles to escape the sometimes overwhelming fan adoration. While Her Majesty has no difficulty in serving the fans in appropriate contexts, he was annoyed to see that even in the solemn setting of the Hall of Fame, surrounded by his peers, he could not have had right to sufficient tranquility.
Kukoc is well placed for the “Beatlemani” excess that the Bulls of the 90s were able to engender and continue to engender. He adds :
I’m nothing compared to Michael, and yet if you knew how many people come to me and say, “Remember? I was sitting behind the bench, in such and such a place! »What can I say to that? If all the people who told me that were telling the truth, half the city would have been sitting behind the bench. We hear so much every day.
Frustrated by people who were too intrusive for his liking, Michael Jordan quickly deserted the Hall of Fame for, one might imagine, the tranquility of a golf course. Fortunately, most of the work had been done with Toni Kukoc, who deserved such an honor.
