Jerry Krause, the late Chicago Bulls’ general manager, was honored for his contributions to the team during last week’s Ring of Honor ceremony. Unfortunately, some fans decided to boo him, which was not only disrespectful but also hurtful to his widow, who was there to accept the honor on his behalf.
Crowd Leaves Widow Of Jerry Krause In Tears
It’s understandable that emotions can run high when it comes to sports, but booing a deceased person’s widow is never okay. Especially on a night when he is being honored as part of a front office that brought the Chicago Bulls six championships.
Oh, and Krause earned two NBA Executive of the Year honors. Not to mention a posthumous induction into the NBA Hall of Fame. The man certainly has some accomplishments worthy of honoring.
And yet, fans in the Windy City simply couldn’t control themselves, peppering Krause’s widow, Thelma, with boos as his name was announced at the Rong of Honor ceremony.
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Listen, I am a long-suffering Dallas Cowboys fan. The suffering was extended yet again Sunday night. I despise what Jerry Jones has done (or not done) with this team for over 25 years. But the one thing I could never see myself doing is, after he died, booing his widow at a Ring of Honor ceremony.
Why? Because most people aren’t jackwagons. Chicago Bulls fans, however, are. At least some of them.
Former Bulls Players Rip Their Own Fans
A couple of former Chicago Bulls players responded to their fans for booing Jerry Krause, absolutely tearing into them.
Former Bulls power forward Stacey King, who won three consecutive championships as part of Krause’s 1991-1993 teams, thought the fans’ reaction was a disgrace calling it “the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“I hurt for that lady, brought her to tears. Whoever booed her in this arena should be ashamed of themselves,” King said.
“That’s not Chicago. That’s New York, Philly. Chicago’s not like that,” he continued. “We don’t have a reputation of being that way. And whether you like Jerry Krause or not, that man brought six championships here.”
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who also won three titles with the Chicago Bulls as a point guard, also took aim at those in the arena booing Jerry Krause and his widow.
“It’s absolutely shameful. I can’t believe … I’m devastated for Thelma and for the Krause family. What can we possibly be thinking?” Kerr angrily responded.
“You have to understand when you hear boos, it’s not all of them, right? So the fans who booed, they know who they are, and to me, it’s absolutely shameful, and I’m devastated by that,” he added.
Shameful is an understatement. Jussie Smollett thinks the fans are giving Chicago a bad reputation.
Some fans blame Krause for breaking up the legendary Bulls team of the 90s, which included stars like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. The team was dismantled after their last championship in 1998, and many fans never forgave him for that. That’s pretty obvious.
But let’s not forget that Jerry Krause was also instrumental in building that championship team. He hired coach Phil Jackson and made key trades to bring in players like Dennis Rodman. Without Krause, there might not have been any championships to begin with.
Bulls fans should be ashamed of their actions.
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