Jerry Krause, General Manager for All Six Championships, Dies at 77
As first reported by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause has died at the age of 77.
Krause was the man responsible for bringing all six championship Bulls teams together. He became general manager just after Michael Jordan’s rookie year in 1985 and made the necessary moves to make the Bulls into a dynasty, even when they were unpopular with others.
Krause drafted Horace Grant and traded for Scottie Pippen in the same draft, even when Jordan and Dean Smith disliked him for passing on fellow Tar Heel Joe Wolf. He traded Jordan’s buddy Charles Oakley for Bill Cartwright, which didn’t sit well with Jordan at all. Fans were upset when he fired Doug Collins as coach so he could give the job to Phil Jackson. Even when he acquired Dennis Rodman, some fans had to have felt a little dirty at first cheering for a former Bad Boy.
Of course, most people prefer to remember Krause for tearing down his creation after the sixth title. The new Bulls flopped spectacularly and he even dealt the single glimmer of hope, Elton Brand, for a raw Tyson Chandler in the middle of that disaster. He left as general manager in 2003 and John Paxson has been involved in every personnel decision since.
Regardless of your thoughts on Krause, the Bulls aren’t a global brand without him. Jordan was the face of the franchise, but he needed the players and coaches around him to achieve the ultimate goal. Krause was the man to bring them all to Chicago and maybe someday, the Hall of Fame will recognize that. No matter how long that takes, he’s already a Chicago sports legend and in a city so fanatical, that’s says a bundle.
