SUMMARY
- Jerry Krause was hired as the Chicago Bulls general manager in 1985, and led them to six NBA championships.
- The former NBA executive was also accused by fans of breaking up the legendary Bulls core.
On January 12, 2024, the organizers arranged a Ring of Honor Ceremony for the 1995–96 Bulls team during halftime. On the same night, the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors indulged in a face-off in Chicago, where the festivities took place. Some people were present to attend the celebration, while others had to tend to other engagements.
The Bulls’ star players, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman, were missing from the celebration. Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson received wild applause when his name was called. Another name that is worth mentioning is Jerry Krause. Since the then-General Manager of the Chicago Bulls breathed his last in 2017, his wife, Thelma Krause, was there to represent him in the arena.
Absolutely brutal reaction from Chicago fans, booing the late Jerry Krause at the Bulls’ Ring of Honor ceremony. His wife representing him was in tears.
Just awful. pic.twitter.com/fA1eRs2TCn
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 13, 2024
However, she was soon found sobbing as the NBA fans in the stands started booing when Jerry Krause’s name was announced. This reaction from the United Center fans was looked down upon by the Warriors’ coach, Steve Kerr. However, the incident piqued interest in the matter as to why the fans were so resentful of the long-deceased.
Why was Jerry Krause being booed?
Jerry Krause is the mastermind who led six NBA championships from 1991 to 1998 for the Bulls. There are two reasons why he received such backlash from NBA fans. Krause once made a distorted comment about his position and how it’s more important than the players to win a championship. Krause said, “Players don’t win championships; organizations do.”
Although the comment was edited by certain media houses, he fell prey to what was called the breaking up of the core team of Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman. This interview happened shortly after the 1997 championship run and reflected his jealousy towards the fact that only Phil Jackson and the players were receiving all the praise.
On top of that, ‘The Last Dance’ portrayed the figure in a very negative light. The documentary claimed that there was some tension brewing between Jordan and Krause. Connecting the dots, people soon deemed him responsible for breaking up the core team in the 1990s.
broke the bulls in 90s.
— Tolunai (@GodlLotus) January 13, 2024
While some fans held their views in favor of the former GM, others were quite resentful of his actions. According to fans, people are simply hating the person who is responsible for six championships just because ‘The Last Dance’ portrayed him that way. After all, the documentary did present just one side of the story, the one that Michael Jordan wanted to put out in public.
Fans saw the documentary and think he’s a bad man. Dude brought 6 championship and a great dynasty team in the 90s fans just hating.
— Legoat wrld 👑 (@lakerstrollwrld) January 13, 2024
Since he was at the receiving end, he couldn’t seem to present a decent enough explanation to justify his stand. Taking this narrative into account, the fans negated his contribution and hence booed him. However, it’s worth noting that the person who arranged for the trio of MJ, Pippen, and Rodman deserves some credit.
