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Scottie Pippen Compares Chicago Bulls Legend to Kevin Durant
Nov 8, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) and Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) watch the ball go out of bounds after White fouled Durant in the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Scottie Pippen Compares Chicago Bulls Legend to Kevin Durant

Originally posted on Chicago Bulls on SI
By Liam Willerup  |  Last updated Oct 19, 2025 3:57 PM ET

The NBA is full of so much talent that sometimes players with exceptional skill aren't given the chance to display what they can be at their best. Looking at the Indiana Pacers, for example, heading into next season, it's a chance for players like Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin to really showcase to the team what they can do with star Tyrese Haliburton sidelined.

However, some players never get the chance, especially when playing behind All-Stars and NBA greats. For the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s, that seemed to be the case with Toni Kukoč, the talented European forward who spent most of his prime behind Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan. However, Pippen recently spoke out about Kukoč, comparing him to an NBA legend.

Pippen Makes Strong Comparison For Kukoc

In an interview with Spanish outlet El País, Pippen was asked about Kukoč and made a bold comparison by relating his situation to that of Kevin Durant's with the Golden State Warriors.

"Yeah, and I think it was hard for him to get all the credit he maybe deserved. It was a similar thing with Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors. He was a champion there, always playing at an MVP level, but that was Steph, Klay, and Draymond’s team. It was a similar thing for Toni in Chicago," Pippen said.

Kukoč arrived on the Bulls for the 1993-94 season, which was when Jordan was currently amid his first retirement. He really started to get things going in the 1994-95 season, but his role would take a hit after Jordan returned.

"By the time he arrived, we were already established as a team. You can’t say he didn’t help us win, but he probably gave up some personal greatness in exchange for sacrificing for us and taking a few steps back," Pippen added.

Making the comparison to Kevin Durant is surely a bold one, given that Durant earned three All-NBA selections and won two Finals MVPs with the Warriors. However, the principle that both players could've been more successful, had the team been built around them, remains true.

Kukoč would go on to play his best season the year after both Pippen and Jordan left, averaging 18.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. A do-it-all forward on the offensive end, Kukoč probably would have had a far more successful NBA career had he entered a situation where his abilities were better utilized.

While he was a three-time NBA champion, his individual accomplishments could've been far more.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bulls on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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