Current:Home > InvestChicago Bulls fans boo late GM Jerry Krause during team's Ring of Honor celebration -Mastery Money Tools
Chicago Bulls fans boo late GM Jerry Krause during team's Ring of Honor celebration
View
Date:2025-04-24 05:17:12
The Chicago Bulls celebrated their inaugural Ring of Honor class during Friday night's game against the Golden State Warriors. But one man who was honored drew the ire of the United Center crowd in an unfortunate scene: late general manager Jerry Krause.
Krause, who died in 2017 at the age of 77, was the longtime general manager of the Bulls, from 1985-2003. He built around Michael Jordan and turned the Bulls into six-time NBA champions. He collected two Executive of the Year awards (1988, 1996) along the way and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame shortly after his death. He also oversaw the dynasty's undoing, as documented (without his perspective) in "The Last Dance."
That fact, presumably, is what led to audible boos when he was honored during the halftime ceremony. His wife Thelma, who was representing him, appeared to be in tears over the poor reception.
"What we witnessed today, when Jerry Krause's name was called and the people that booed Jerry Krause and his widow, who was accepting this honor for him — it was the worst thing I've ever seen in my life," Bulls analyst Stacey King, a member of Chicago's first three title teams, said on the broadcast.
"I hurt for that lady. Brought her to tears. Whoever booed her in this arena should be ashamed of themselves," King continued. "That's not Chicago. That's New York. Philly. Chicago's not like that. We don't have a reputation of being that way. Whether you like Jerry Krause or not, that man brought six championships here. He didn't shoot a basket, nor did he get a rebound, but he put six titles up (in the rafters). There's a lot of teams don't even have one (championship).
"That was really classless. I was disappointed in the people that booed. It was a sad thing."
King is right. Though the breakup of the Bulls dynasty may have been premature and Krause failed to build a winner again before he left in 2003, citing health problems, by pretty much any measure, he's one of the great executives in league history. Only three other franchises have collected more rings than the Bulls' six: The Warriors (7), Lakers (17) and Celtics (17).
Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc, Artis Gilmore, Bob Love, Chet Walker, Jerry Sloan, Phil Jackson, Tex Winter, Dick Klein and Johnny "Red" Kerr rounded out the inaugural Ring of Honor class. The 1995-96 Bulls were also honored. That team, which went 72-10 and won the NBA title, was, of course, built by Krause.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, a member of that 1995-96 team, said he did not hear the boos for Krause as he was back in the locker room with his team. But Kerr didn't hold back, calling the booing fans' actions "shameful."
"It's absolutely shameful," Kerr said. "I cannot believe ... I'm devastated for Thelma and for the Krause family. What can we possibly be thinking?
"...I'm so disappointed in the fans — and I want to be specific, because I know there were lots of fans I'm sure who did not boo. But those who booed, they should be ashamed."
veryGood! (23268)
Related
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Man surfing off Maui dies after shark encounter, Hawaii officials say
- Why Sister Wives' Christine Brown Almost Went on Another Date the Day She Met David Woolley
- Niners celebrate clinching NFC's top seed while watching tiny TV in FedExField locker room
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Dog reunited with family after life with coyotes, fat cat's adoption: Top animal stories of 2023
- 16-year-old boy fatally stabbed on a hill overlooking London during New Year’s Eve
- Are stores open New Year's Day 2024? See hours for Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Macy's, more
- Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
- Owen the Owl was stranded in the middle the road. A Georgia police officer rescued him.
Ranking
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Sophia Bush Says 2023 “Humbled” and “Broke” Her Amid New Personal Chapter
- The Handmaid's Tale Star Yvonne Strahovski Gives Birth to Baby No. 3
- What's open New Year's Day 2024? Details on Walmart, Starbucks, restaurants, stores
- Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
- How Dominican women fight child marriage and teen pregnancy while facing total abortion bans
- Amy Robach Reveals What She's Lost Amid Divorce From Andrew Shue
- A boozy banana drink in Uganda is under threat as authorities move to restrict home brewers
Recommendation
IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
Gunmen kill 6 barbers in a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban near the Afghan border
North Korea's Kim Jong Un orders military to thoroughly annihilate U.S. if provoked, state media say
Taylor Swift dethrones Elvis Presley as solo artist with most weeks atop Billboard 200 chart
Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier is returning home after extended deployment defending Israel
Bangladesh court sentences Nobel laureate Yunus to 6 months in jail. He denies violating labor laws
First chance to see meteors in 2024: How to view Quadrantids when meteor showers peak