© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Charles Barkley comments on the disastrous Ring of Honor ceremony
The talk about the controversial moments during the Chicago Bulls’ Ring of Honor ceremony last weekend wouldn’t die down, as Hall of Famer Charles Barkley chimed in, calling the booing of Jerry Krause’s widow, and the no-shows of Bulls legends Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman “a complete disgrace to the legacy of the Chicago Bulls.”
A disgrace
The Bulls had grand plans for their Ring of Honor event, which sought to celebrate some of the franchise’s finest. However, those plans began unraveling when the trio of Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman didn’t show up even though they were the key pieces of the Ring of Honor’s inaugural class.
The worst moment came when Jerry Krause’s widow, Thelma, received the brunt of the boos meant for the Bulls’ late former general manager, bringing her to tears—an unfortunate incident that was caught by the cameras.
“I want to be very careful here because, you know, Chicago, I love that city. But what happened in Chicago, the other night was a disgrace,” Barkley said on NBA on TNT.
“Having his wife cry like that. That was wrong on so many levels. Michael and Scottie and Dennis not showing up, that was wrong. It was a complete disgrace to the legacy of the Chicago Bulls.”
Not cool
Krause was an instrumental, albeit unpopular, figure in Bulls' history. While he was the chief architect of the Bulls juggernaut that dominated the 90s and won six NBA titles in eight years, he was also mainly responsible for dismantling that same dynasty.
As a result, Krause was often at odds with star players and coaches, including Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson. His controversial decisions ultimately led to the breakup of the Bulls team that had achieved historic success.
However, there’s a thin line between dislike and decency, and Barkley called out the fans for their disrespectful behavior towards Mrs. Krause.
“What those fans did to Mrs. Krause, that was not cool. And everybody involved owes that lady an apology. Whether you like Jerry Krause or not, that man is dead. Rest in peace. His wife is there, and y'all made that lady cry? And that was total BS,” Barkley commented.
“That was wrong, man. To have that lady crying like that? It hurt my heart watching that.”
