Bulls celebrate inaugural Ring of Honor class; fans boo late Jerry Krause،
CHICAGO — The Bulls celebrated their inaugural class for the organization's new Ring of Honor at halftime of Friday night's game against the Golden State Warriors, but the ceremony took a turn when some fans loudly booed Jerry Krause , the former Chicago general manager who died in 2017.
The first Ring of Honor class included 13 men and the entire 1995-96 team, which went 72-10 and won the NBA championship.
The Bulls were missing some key members of that team, with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman missing from the festivities. Rodman was scheduled to appear but his travel plans were canceled due to bad weather. He and Jordan submitted video messages recognizing the honor.
“I’m so disappointed I can’t be here tonight,” Jordan said in a recorded video message to fans. “But I don’t want that to stop the fun you’re going to have.”
In addition to Jordan, Pippen and Rodman, the inaugural 13-member class included Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson, who received the loudest cheers from those in attendance, and Krause, who served as general manager of the Bulls of 1985 to 2003.
Krause's name was booed by the United Center crowd, and his widow, Thelma, who represented him at the ceremony, was visibly emotional at the reception. Krause was the architect of the Bulls' six championship teams, but he was also often blamed for the disintegration of the dynasty he had been so instrumental in building.
Former Bulls forward Stacey King, now an analyst for NBC Sports Chicago, said when play resumed in the third quarter that he was disappointed in the booing fans, calling them classless.
“I tell you what, Chicago is a sports town, and what we witnessed today when Jerry Krause's name was called and people booed Jerry Krause and his widow, who was accepting this honor for him “It was the worst thing I've ever seen in my life,” King said. “I suffered for this lady. I made her cry and anyone who booed her in this arena should be ashamed.”
Bulls President and CEO Michael Reinsdorf addressed the situation in a statement to NBC Sports Chicago in which he praised Krause as “an important part of our history.”
“His legacy deserves to be celebrated and respected,” Reinsdorf’s statement read in part. “We were incredibly honored to have Thelma with us tonight to recognize Jerry as a member of the Chicago Bulls’ first Ring of Honor.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who played five seasons in Chicago from 1993 to 1998 and was grateful that the Bulls' schedule allowed him to be in attendance Friday, said he was in the locker room at the time- there but he had heard about the booing. which he called “absolutely disgraceful”.
“I am devastated for Thelma and for the Krause family,” Kerr said. “I can't believe that the fans – and you have to understand, when you hear boos, it's not all of them. The fans that booed, they know who they are. To me, it's absolutely shameful and I'm devastated by this…
“Whether people like Jerry or not…we're here to celebrate this team. Jerry has done an incredible job building this team. …And I'm so disappointed in the fans – and I want to be specific because There were plenty of fans who I'm sure didn't boo. But those who booed should be ashamed.”
Jordan, Pippen and Jackson sometimes disagreed with Krause, one of the themes of the documentary “The Last Dance” about the 1997-98 season, the last of the Bulls dynasty that Krause helped build.
“You can never take away from him what he created,” Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan said of Krause. “Without Jerry, there would be no historic Chicago Bulls story.”
DeRozan added, “Family and friends who are still here should be appreciated and should not be disrespected.”
Also among the 13 Ring of Honor inductees were Artis Gilmore, Johnny “Red” Kerr, Dick Klein, Toni Kukoc, Bob Love, Jerry Sloan, Chet Walker and Tex Winter, in addition to the 1995-96 team, called ” the greatest team in NBA history.”
Chicago still loves Phil Jackson ❤️ pic.twitter.com/11YayHVsPy
– Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 13, 2024
Chicago celebrated the inaugural class at a private gala at the United Center on Thursday before recognizing them in front of a packed crowd during a long halftime session Friday against Kerr's Warriors.
“I was very flattered that they organized this whole thing around our game so I could be here,” Kerr said before the game, which the Warriors came back to win 140-131 thanks to a big turnover in the second period. “We had a wonderful evening, not only at the gala, but afterwards, connecting with the team. Lots of stories, lots of fun. It was just a really, really good night.
“In terms of everyone coming together, it probably happened a few days after the 1998 final when the team broke up, and we knew it. We all got together one night back then, We smoked cigars, drank a few cocktails and told stories.”
The Bulls will add to Ring of Honor every two years, with the next class being revealed in 2026.
Information from the Associated Press was included in this report.
