Kukoc Plans To Play In Croatia

Toni Kukoc of the Chicago Bulls plans on playing for Croatia in the European Basketball Championships this summer in France.

"I want to play and contribute as much as possible," Kukoc told the daily Jutarnji List in an interview in his Chicago home. "I gave my word to Bozidar Bozic (the national coach) and my rejoining the team is just a matter of scheduling a date."

Kukoc has not played for the national team since its seventh-place performance at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

Prior to those games, the Croats took a silver medal at the Barcelona Olympics in 1990, a silver at the world's in 1992 and a bronze at the European championships in 1995.

Because of the lockout, the NBA playoffs could run through the end of June. That could complicate Kukoc's plans. The European Championships begin June 21.

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