"Four to five hours, I talked about the Bulls' offense" - When two coaches locked Toni Kukoc in a train cabin to discuss the triangle offense

In 2007, Toni Kukoc went to Vlade Divac's hometown, Prijepolje, to join the former Sacramento Kings center's farewell ceremony. It was supposed to be a joyous celebration of Divac's storied basketball career, but Pink Panther said he also had to talk shop that day after a couple of European coaches locked him in another "cabin" during the train ride to ask about the Chicago Bulls' offense.

The former Bulls star happily obliged, though, and engaged Dusan Ivkovic and Zeljko Obradovic in a lengthy conversation about the triangle offense. In the end, it proved worth it for Kukoc, as he saw the coaches implement some of the stuff they learned.

"They asked me to explain the triangle offense of the Chicago Bulls," the Croatian legend recalled while appearing on the "Tonight with Ivan Ivanovic" show last April. "So, for almost the entire journey, four to five hours, I talked about how the Bulls' offense works. And then when you watch their games and recognize a part of it, I feel like I'm part of it, like I revealed the secret to them."

Kukoc thrived in Chicago

Per the retired forward's story, he and other European hoop personalities were on a train socializing when Ivkovic and Obradovic whisked him away and put him in a different cab. It appears Toni was aware of how inquisitive the coaches could be, as he remembered former national squad teammate Obradovic always bringing a notebook to write down plays, even while still a player.

Fortunately, the Hall of Famer had quite an impressive basketball IQ, which allowed him to discuss the triangle offense for several hours and execute the strategy with ease during his tenure as a Bulls player.

Kukoc's malleability also made him an immaculate piece in Phil Jackson's system. Having the ability to play point guard in a power forward's body and shoot well from anywhere on the court enabled him to assume any role in the triangle.

Related: “That's not the Stock I play with every night in Utah" - Karl Malone grew worried witnessing John Stockton's struggles on the Dream Team

Learning the triangle

It's also worth noting that in those four to five hours, Ivkovic and Obradovic got to learn enough about the triangle to incorporate some parts of it into their own systems. The former clinched a EuroLeague championship after the sitdown with Kukoc, bringing his total to two.

As for Obradovic, he has more titles under his belt, winning three European Triple Crowns and nine EuroLeague championships. "The Croatian Sensation" even once said that the retired point guard could have been successful in the NBA.

Given his deep knowledge of the game, maybe Kukoc should have also tried being a coach. However, he has opted instead to serve in an executive function, having been a special advisor to the Bulls president and CEO since 2015.

Related: Michael Jordan once shared why it was crucial for him to help Toni Kukoc find his place with the Bulls: “He's going to have to deal with expectations"