Toni Kukoc sighting

Just a quick anecdote from a successful first night of the Penn basketball team's season:

While watching the game from the student section, I made sure to keep an eye out for a possible Toni Kukoc sighting at the Palestra. Kukoc, a three-time NBA champion whose son Marin did not suit up for Saturday's game, has taken over the role of 'Most Famous Dad' on the team, now that Malcolm Washington no longer plays. Unfortunately, the two-hour search was not fruitful.

As I made the walk up Walnut Street on my way home, however, I glanced to my left and spotted the 6-foot-11 Croatian (a whole foot taller than I am) walking beside me. From our brief conversation, I can tell you that Toni has been spending his retirement playing golf, he's still a Chicago Bulls fan and he's waiting until his son earns playing time before becoming a regular at the Palestra. No word on how Zack Rosen, Rob Belcore and Conor Turley compare to Jordan, Pippen and Rodman, though.

Marin possesses similar gifts to his father, mainly craftiness and great skill play (ball handling, passing, shooting) for his size. It remains to be seen, however, whether Marin will make enough of an impact to be dubbed the League's "Croatian Sensation," as Toni was back in the day.