Chicago Bulls Mourns Passing of Beloved Former Player…
CHICAGO (WLS) — Former Chicago Bulls general manager Jerry Krause died Tuesday at the age of 77, the team announced. He was battling a debilitating bone infection.
Krause was CEO during the Chicago Bullsand#039; championship years when they won six NBA championships in eight years in the 1990s. Chicago Bulls president Jerry Reinsdorf released a statement saying the entire Bulls organization is deeply saddened by the passing of Jerry Krause. Jerry was one of the hardest working men I’ve ever been around and one of the best talent evaluators of all time.
German played an integral role in six championships in eight years. He was really the architect of all our great teams in the 1990s. Without Jerry, I would not have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. We will miss him terribly and send our thoughts and prayers to his wife Thelma and the Krause family.
Former Bulls superstar Michael Jordan released a statement saying, and “Jerry was a key figure in the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s and meant so much to the Bulls, the White Sox and the entire city of Chicago. My deepest condolences to his wife Thelma, his family and friends.
Krause took over as Bulls GM in 1985. While he didn’t draft Michael Jordan, he brought in two other future Hall of Famers, coach Phil Jackson from CBA limbo and Scottie Pippen from Central Arkansas. Krause was also praised for other moves, the acquisition of Dennis Rodman and the drafting of Toni Kukoc, which built a strong team. Krause’s former draft pick Stacey King called Krause one of the greatest GMs in NBA history. But there were bumps in the road when Krause was blamed for the post-Jordan Bulls malaise and his rude, often confrontational demeanor rubbed some players the wrong way.
Pax told us that he always wanted to be loved by the players and the CEO and his job is not to be loved by the players, so he tried to be a shrewd manager but he still wanted to be loved and he had to. smart moves, andquot;; said Marc Silverman of ESPN Chicago andquot;Waddle and Silvy.andquot; She had a contentious relationship with Jackson, who left after Bullsand#039; last championship in 1998 and replaced him with Tim Floyd, who missed the playoffs for three and a half seasons with the Bulls. In 2003, the Chicago native and two-time NBA Executive of the Year winner retired as the GM of the Bulls. On Tuesday, Bulls fans reflected on the team’s success under Krause.
I think it’s a testament to his leadership and his vision and understanding of the sport and what it really means to build a team,andquot; Bulls fan Keiana Barrett said.
I just saw how well he used his skill around everyone, knowing your players, knowing their strengths and characteristics, Bulls fan Jody Patterson said. Before serving as Bulls general manager, Krause was a scout for the Bulls and Chicago White Sox, both owned by Jerry Reinsdorf. Krause was most recently named a special assistant in the scouting department of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011. Krause is survived by her husband, two children and four grandchildren.
In a statement released by the Bulls, former player and current general manager John Paxson said: I owe a lot to Jerry. If he hadn’t brought me to Chicago in 1985, I probably would never have been a Bull. He had a great eye for talent and his ability to build a team is second to none. Heand is one of the best the league has ever seen. Weand#039; we keep Thelma and her family in our thoughts and prayers.
