Jerry Krause: Hero and Villain

The NBA during the 90s was like no other; it was the decade of the Chicago Bulls. In a

city filled with successful teams, the Bulls were an embarrassment since they had yet to win any

championships. That was, until new players were on the court. Sure, most will instantly think of

Michael Jordan, but no matter how good one player is, there is no such thing as one man team

winning championships the way they did. Jordan had that young, ambitious, drive, and talent, but

there were many working parts to that team. Scottie Pippen, a very versatile player considering

his primary position as a small forward. Dennis Rodman, the eccentric and aggressive rebounder

that made headlines on and off the court. There are so many other players that made that team

successful, but I am not writing about the players in this. I want to talk about the person who

brought these players together, but was also responsible for tearing the team apart. Let’s talk

about Jerry Krause.

Krause was very familiar with Chicago considering he was born and raised in the city. He

played sports his whole life, but you wouldn’t assume that by looking at him. Those who knew

him could easily see he suffered from what is now known as “little man syndrome”. He was

short and fat which led him to feel the need to constantly prove himself and overcompensate by

always asserting the power he had, even if that meant risking relationships he had with the

players and those involved with the team.

He joined the Chicago Bulls as the general manager in 1985 and began building the team

that he is most well known for. Michael Jordan was the foundation for Krause considering the

Bulls drafted him with their 3rd pick in the 1984 NBA draft. Krause was given the opportunity to

build a team of stars around Jordan. The first notable player acquired by Krause was Scottie

Pippen. Krause was interested in Pippen since his junior year in college, so when the chance
came in 1987 to add a strong player to the team, Krause was all over it. The next notable player

acquired thanks to Krause was Dennis Rodman. The opportunity came when the Bulls were able

to trade a backup center, Will Perdue, to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Dennis Rodman

in 1995. Although he wasn’t a player, the head coach Phil Jackson was also a crucial member of

the team. Some may argue that he is the greatest NBA coach of all time. Ultimately, Krause was

responsible for piecing together the Chicago Bulls dynasty.

The Chicago Bulls became wildly successful now having a strong and talented team. The

city of Chicago celebrated greatly considering the Bulls were catching attention nationally.

People who weren’t even Chicago Bulls fans were buying tickets just to see the iconic team. To

watch these basketball stars play was viewed as a once in a lifetime opportunity. The United

Center went from selling minimal tickets for their NBA games to selling out regularly. It was the

turnaround of the decade and Jerry Krause was behind it all.

Although the Chicago Bulls of the 90s seemed like a dream, in all reality there were

problems and tension between the team and management. There was a great amount of animosity

against Krause because many of those involved with the Bulls knew he was selfish and insecure

in a way that made him feel the need to justify himself even if that meant tearing down other

people. Considering his 6 championship winning team, he wanted to prove that he could do it

again. With that being said, he wanted to begin the rebuilding of the Chicago Bulls. However,

many may argue, why rebuild something that has to fail?

The most notable mistake that Krause made in regards to ripping apart the supreme team,

was deciding that Phil Jackson’s last season with the Bulls would be the ‘97-’98 NBA season.

Although he managed to hold onto his head coach position for that season, that was only due to

much threat and resistance from the players. Many said they wouldn’t play if Phil Jackson wasn’t
coaching. That season was the beginning of the end, better coined as “The Last Dance” by Phil

Jackson. All parties involved knew there was a lot at risk and a lot to prove. The resilient team

rose to the challenge and the Bulls yet again, secured another championship win during the

‘97-’98 season, but that still wasn’t enough to keep Phil Jackson around. That was the end of an

era.

Over the years, the media has painted such a terrible and one sided view of him, which in

my opinion isn’t fair. It dismisses the good work and success he did accomplish in his career. It is

quite unfair to dismiss all of his accomplishments due to one mistake. He is a two time executive

of the year, was a successful scout for multiple teams, won six championships in 8 years, and

was inducted into the basketball hall of fame. Sadly, his ego and insecurities are what got in the

way of him being loved and appreciated by all.

In conclusion, people may argue that Jerry Krause was a hero or a villain, but in all

reality he was both. He was responsible for creating one the greatest teams in NBA history, even

in the day and age of basketball stars like Lebron James, Steph Curry, and the late Kobe Bryant.

The Bulls were also never the same after the poor decisions he made in the late 90s in regards to

the coaching staff and players. All in all, the Chicago Bulls wouldn’t have the brand or legacy

they do today without the decisions, good or bad, without Jerry Krause.