Croatian Toni Kukoc Officially Inducted into FIBA Basketball Hall of Fame

Toni Kukoc inducted into the FIBA Basketball Hall of Fame (Photo: FIBA)

Croatian basketball legend Toni Kukoč has been inducted into the FIBA international basketball Hall of Fame at a ceremony at FIBA headquarters in Switzerland last night.

World class basketball personalities and, for the first time ever, a team, were enshrined in a ceremony held in the Naismith Arena, FIBA’s exhibition space named after the inventor of basketball.

Kukoč was one of the first established European stars to play in the NBA, winning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1996 and 3 NBA Championships with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.

(Image: FIBA)

He won a number of accolades throughout his impressive career, including being a 3-time Croatian Sportsman of the Year, FIBA World Championship MVP, 4-time Mister Europa Player of the Year and a double Olympic silver medalist.

FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2017:

TEAM
Dream Team (USA)

PLAYERS
Mickey Berkowitz (Israel)
Pero Cameron (New Zealand)
Toni Kukoč (Croatia)
Razija Mujanovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Shaquille O’Neal (USA) * Unable to attend the ceremony
Valdis Valters (Latvia)

COACH
Dusan Ivkovic (Serbia)

2017 Class of the FIBA Hall of Fame with FIBA Secretary General and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member Patrick Baumann, FIBA Secretary General Emeritus Borislav Stankovic and FIBA President Horacio Muratore

FIBA President Horacio Muratore said: “It is with tremendous pride that we induct these great basketball personalities into FIBA’s Hall of Fame as the Class of 2017. They have positively impacted our sport and assisted its growth in the four corners of the world for many years. 2017 is an important year as it marks FIBA’s 85th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of the FIBA Hall of Fame. It also means it has been 25 years since the Dream Team amazed us all at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. We normally would not induct a team into the FIBA Hall of Fame but we are making an exception for the Dream Team because of its outstanding contribution to the development of international basketball. Congratulations to all of the inductees that make up the 2017 Class of the FIBA Hall of Fame for receiving this well-deserved honor.