CHICAGO — The Bulls celebrated their inaugural class for the organization's new Ring of Honor during 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 class of Ring of Honor 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, as Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman were absent from the festivities. Rodman was scheduled to appear, but his travel plans were canceled due to inclement weather. Both he and Jordan sent video messages acknowledging the honor.
“I'm so bummed I couldn't be there tonight,” Jordan said in a videotaped message to fans. “But I don't want that to stop the fun you guys are going to have.”
In addition to Jordan, Pippen and Rodman, the 13-member inaugural class included Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson, who received the loudest applause from those in attendance, and Krause, who was the Bulls' general manager from 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 often blamed for the disintegration of the dynasty he had been such an important part of building.
Former Bulls forward Stacey King, now an NBC Sports Chicago analyst, said when play resumed in the third quarter that he was disappointed in the fans who booed, calling them classless.
“I tell you what, Chicago is a sports town, and what we witnessed today when Jerry Krause's name was mentioned and the people who booed Jerry Krause and his widow, who was accepting this honor for him, was the worst thing I've ever seen.” ever seen in my life,” King said. “I hurt for that lady. I made her cry, and whoever booed her on this field should be ashamed of themselves.”
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 are incredibly honored to have Thelma with us tonight to recognize Jerry as a member of the Chicago Bulls' inaugural 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 present Friday, said he was in the locker room at the time but learned of the boos. which he called “absolutely disgraceful.”
“I am devastated for Thelma and for the Krause family,” Kerr said. “I can't believe the fans, and you have to understand that when you hear boos, it's not all of them. The fans that booed, they know who they are. “To me, it's absolutely embarrassing, and I'm devastated by that.
“Whether people like Jerry or not… we're here to celebrate that team. Jerry did an incredible job building that team… And I'm very disappointed in the fans, and I want to be specific because there were a lot of fans. “I'm sure they didn't boo. But those who booed should be ashamed.”
Jordan, Pippen and Jackson disagreed at times with Krause, one of the subjects of the documentary “The Last Dance” about the 1997-98 season, the last of the Bulls dynasty.
“You can never take away what he created,” Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan said of Krause. “Without Jerry, there would be no storied history of the Chicago Bulls.”
DeRozan added: “The family and friends who are still here should be appreciated and not disrespected.”
Also among the 13 members of Ring of Honor 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, which was made reference as “the best team in NBA history.”
Chicago always 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 it in front of a packed crowd during an extended halftime session on Friday against Kerr's Warriors.
“I was very flattered that they set up our game so I could be here,” Kerr said before the game, which the Warriors rallied to win 140-131 thanks to a big second-half turnaround. “We had a wonderful night, not only at the gala, but afterwards, connecting with the team. A lot of stories, a lot of fun. It was just a great, great night.
“In terms of everyone getting together, it was probably from a few days after the 1998 Finals, when the team broke up, and we knew it. We all got together one night back then and smoked cigars and drank some cocktails and told stories. “
The Bulls will join Ring of Honor every two years, with the next class revealed in 2026.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
