Vart
Years ago
Check out this game on You Tube.
Sure, the Boomers get flogged, but its pretty cool to see the likes of Gaze, Longley, Bradtke, Heal, Smyth, Loggins and current BA CEO Sengstock go up against the might of the great Drazen Petrovic, Toni Kukoc and Dino Radja.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCxWKX370nc
hoopie
Years ago
Thanks for the reminder about Kukoc.
As wikipedia says "although his natural position was small forward, he played all five positions on the court with prowess and demonstrated court vision and an outside shooting touch that were seldom found in players of his height". Amazing what he could do at 6'11" (2.11m).
Has there been (or will there ever be) another player of that height who was that good?
Vart
Years ago
Well, I would say Dirk Nowitzki is as good, but obviously no where near as versatile as Kukoc. Kukoc was actually touted as a point guard at one point prior to joining the Bulls!
thedoctor
Years ago
Kukoc was one of the better passers to play the game, and a very streaky shooter who could kill you if he got into a rythym.
'The Waiter' - great nickname too.
Highlights of Shane Heal going nuts against the USA in an exhibition game in Utah in the lead up to the '96 Olympics:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3OCJBVgGHM
Beantown
Years ago
Hoopie, there was some awkward blonde kid from French Lick who was better at about the same height. I forget his name though...
Hogwash
Years ago
Was also another kid who beat said kid from french lick in the NCAA finals and the following year went on to win the NBA finals.
Fairly handy 6'9" point guard.
Melvin Corpuscle
Years ago
Remember a story from when Kukoc arrived in Chicago coming off an injury. Euro's had a reputation for being soft, and one of the more senior Bulls players sneered "you feelin better?" (insinuating he was soft).
Toni picked up a medicine ball, ran up and dunked it, shrugged his shoulders "yeah, pretty good" ...
I much prefer watching the 1996 game.
johnny_sack
Years ago
Wow! I forgot how unconscious Heal was in that game. Say what you will about him - but he was a shooter and pound for pound one of the toughest players we have seen in OZ.
One of my great memories is Heal running back on D after hitting a three at the Powerhouse giving a two-armed 1-finger salute to the home crowd in the 94(?) NBL playoffs.
.
Years ago
usa and croatia played for gold that olympics
look at usa team
David Robinson
Patrick Ewing
Larry Bird
Scottie Pippen
Michael Jordan
Clyde Drexler
Karl Malone
John Stockton
Chris Mullin
Charles Barkley
Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jr.
Christian Laettner
and their round robin results -
United States
116-48 v angola
127-83 v brazil
103-70 v croatia
122-81 v spain
111-68 v germany
woooah !
Moses Guthrie
Years ago
Enjoyed the pre-game intro. How did Kevin Dorge #4 go? Still can't believe his more famous brother John wasn't in the team ..... ;-)
If Yugoslav combined team had played the woooah might have gone the other way around,this way they played half the team that was supposed to rock up that year.
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