SI

Bulls Analyst Rips Fans for Booing the Late Jerry Krause: ‘Worst Thing I’ve Ever Seen in My Life’

Stacey King was furious at Chicago fans reacting to the general manager’s induction into the Bulls’ Ring of Honor.

Tom Dierberger

Bulls Analyst Rips Fans for Booing the Late Jerry Krause: ‘Worst Thing I’ve Ever Seen in My Life’
Bulls Analyst Rips Fans for Booing the Late Jerry Krause: ‘Worst Thing I’ve Ever Seen in My Life’ /
In this story:

Chicago Bulls fans rained down boos Friday night at United Center when the late Jerry Krause was announced as one of 13 members of the team’s inaugural “Ring of Honor” class.

Krause, who served as the Bulls’ general manager from 1985 to 2003 and passed away in 2017, was represented by his widow, Thelma, who was visibly upset by the fans booing.

NBC Sports Chicago analyst Stacey King, who played four-plus seasons with the Bulls in the 1990s under Krause’s tenure, ripped the booing fans on the broadcast.

“What we witnessed today when Jerry Krause’s name was called, and the people that booed Jerry Krause and his widow accepting his honor for him, it was the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” King said. “I hurt for that lady. Brought her to tears. 

“Whoever booed her in this arena should be ashamed of themselves. That’s not Chicago. That’s New York, Philly. Chicago’s not like that.”

Krause built up the Bulls’ dynasty around Michael Jordan in the 1990s, but he gained a reputation among fans as the villain who went on to dismantle the roster, a storyline further fueled by the 2020 documentary The Last Dance.

“Whether you like Jerry Krause or not, that man brought six championships here,” King said. “He didn’t shoot a basket nor did he get a rebound, but he put six titles up in this arena. There’s a lot of teams who don’t even have one.”

Along with Krause, the Bulls also recognized the likes of Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Steve Kerr—coaching the Golden State Warriors on the opposite sideline—among the 13-player induction ceremony.

But it was the reception for Krause that stole the headlines.

“That was really classless,” King said. “I was disappointed in the people that booed. It was a sad thing.”

Published
Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

Home/NBA