Former Bulls figures blast Jerry Krause's lackluster reception at the Ring of Honour

Stacey, Kerr, and Deebo didn't enjoy Bulls supporters' "classless" boos against the former Bulls top executive.

© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

It was supposed to be a night full of celebration and commemoration. But in the end, the Chicago Bulls' inaugural Ring of Honor had a moment of disappointment and hostility.

As the franchise hoped to hold the major event in peace and with a sense of pride in their illustrious history, the entire ceremony suffered an embarrassing dent at the hands of classless Bulls fans inside the United Centre, who smeared the name of the late Jerry Krause.

Krause, the Bulls' former general manager who oversaw their dynastic rule and won six world championships in the 1990s, was inducted into the Ring of Honour for his unrelenting commitment to the team. 

But instead of receiving a proper honor to celebrate his legacy, Krause was greeted with deafening boos when his name was called at the halftime ceremony. Thelma, his wife who represented him, can barely hold back her tears at the Bulls fans' hostile greeting.

Truly classless and shabby moment in Chicago tonight as fans lustily booed the late Bulls GM Jerry Krause's name as he was inducted into the NBA franchise's Ring of Honor. Thelma Krause, who represented her late husband, was visibly shaken by the vitriol. pic.twitter.com/JxIamqxjqg

— Donald R. Koelper (@Donald_from_HI) January 13, 2024

A sports city like Chicago is better than that

This controversial reaction by the fans within the United Center drew instant flak across the sports community and on the internet. As such, Stacey King didn't hold back from firing shots on them while being on air.

The Bulls television commentator ripped the fans within the UC who blatantly put Jerry and Thelma to shame in the Ring of Honor.

"We just had a remarkable ceremony, bringing back the legends and I'm telling you what," King said. "Chicago is a sports town and what we witnessed today when Jerry Krause's name was called, and the people that 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. I hurt for that lady, it brought her to tears. Whoever booed her in this arena should be ashamed of themselves. … That was really classless and I was disappointed in the people that booed.”

Absolutely shameful

The negativity from the crowd even left a bitter taste in the mouth of Steve Kerr. The Golden State Warriors coach was also in attendance of the Ring of Honor as a member of the Bulls’ mythical 72-10 squad back in the 1995-96 season.

Kerr was one of the important pieces that Krause was able to acquire to construct the Bulls’ second three-peat core. And to see the man who poured it all for the franchise's success just to get beaten up by Chicago fans, Steve was also saddened by the unfortunate sequence.

"I didn't hear it, I was in the locker room, but somebody just told me about it and it's shameful. It's absolutely shameful," Kerr said after his Dubs beat the Bulls, 140-131. "I cannot believe. I'm devastated for Thelma, for the Krause family. What can we possibly be thinking. I cannot believe that. … The fans who booed, they know who they are. To me, it's absolutely shameful, and I'm devastated by that.”

Pay respect

Like everybody else, DeMar DeRozan also shared the same sentiments about the booing made by Chicago faithful in the ceremony toward Krause.

Deebo was dismayed by the fans' unwanted welcome, considering Jerry's important role in building the Bulls as one of the most iconic basketball franchises ever.

“Rest his soul. He played a major part in the success that the Bulls had,” Deebo said of Krause. “He created one of the greatest teams ever assembled. You gotta give him credit. The man have family and friends that are still here and ought to be appreciated and shouldn't be disrespected in no type of way by hearing boos or anything like that.

“It just sucks their family had to endure something like that. You can never take away what he created. Without Jerry, there wouldn’t be the historic Chicago Bulls history. You gotta give him credit for as long as basketball is around.”

"I will always be a Chicago Bull" - Michael Jordan's heartfelt message to the Chicago Bulls and his former teammates