During halftime of the Chicago Bulls‘ 140-131 loss to the Golden State Warriors, the team commemorated its 72-win 1995-96 squad by holding the franchise's first-ever Ring of Honor ceremony.
Upon mention of late GM Jerry Krause's name, however, the United Center faithful erupted into boos. This was then seen by the NBA world as a disrespectful act, especially with Krause's widow, Thelma, in attendance.
On TNT's ‘Inside the NBA', host Charles Barkley weighed in, calling it a ‘complete disgrace.'
““It was a complete disgrace to the legacy of the Chicago Bulls…That hurt my heart watching that thing.” Charles comments on fans booing Jerry Krause, the former Chicago general manager who passed away in 2017, during the Bulls Ring of Honor ceremony”
In the aftermath, Bulls' president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf came ardently towards Jerry Krause's defense, with the Bulls owner giving a statement to NBC Sports Chicago that his “legacy deserves to be celebrated and respected.”
“Jerry Krause is a six-time NBA champion and two-time NBA Executive of the Year. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for his accomplishments and is an incredible part of our history. His legacy deserves to be celebrated and respected,” Reinsdorf said.
Krause was the architect behind two three-peat championship teams in the 1990s. While great Michael Jordan and Scotty Pippen were the cornerstones, Krause was able to plug in role players seamlessly throughout the years.
The Last Dance documentary has sullied Krause's reputation immensely. Both Jordan and Pippen were notorious for disliking Krause, and this disdain seems to have affected how fans view the late executive's legacy nowadays.
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