Jerry Krause
Encyclopedia
Jerry Krause is a former professional basketball
scout and general manager
for, among other franchises, the Baltimore Bullets
and, most notably, the Chicago Bulls
of the National Basketball Association
. He is a two-time recipient of the NBA's Executive of the Year
award.
. He played high school baseball
as a catcher
at Taft High School in Chicago and attended Bradley University
.
After college he went to work as a scout with the Baltimore Bullets
. Early on Krause gained a reputation of being able to eye talent. He is credited for discovering future Hall of Famer Earl Monroe
.
While with the Bullets, he had urged the team to pick North Dakota
forward Phil Jackson
in the 1967 NBA Draft
. The Bullets did not draft him, but Krause continued to keep in touch during Jackson's playing career and into his first years as a coach. Their relationship flourished during the 1970s and 1980s; notably, when Jackson was coaching the Albany Patroons
in the Continental Basketball Association
, Krause once called him requesting an analysis of the league's players, which Jackson provided in great detail.
After a few years with Baltimore, Krause worked as a scout with the Phoenix Suns
, Philadelphia 76ers
, Los Angeles Lakers
and Chicago Bulls
in the 1970s before he left pro basketball to scout pro baseball instead. He was scouting for the Chicago White Sox
when he received a call from new Chicago Bulls
owner Jerry Reinsdorf
to join the Bulls as their new General Manager and once again work in pro basketball.
GM in 1985, and managed the franchise as Michael Jordan
and Phil Jackson
ascended to elite status in their respective positions.
, a small forward from the University of Central Arkansas
; and Horace Grant, a power forward from Clemson
. The two were, along with Jordan, cornerstones of the Bulls' 1991-1993 Championship teams. They were also culled from relative hoops obscurity; this went back to Krause's strength for finding players who were not well-received or even known by mainstream scouts.
However, Krause also made many picks that didn't help the team. In 1986, Krause planned on selecting a tall forward named Brad Sellers
in the NBA Draft. Sellers, Krause reasoned, was too good a pick to pass up, as he handled the ball very well for a big man, and also had a solid outside jumper. Jordan, on the other hand, pushed management to take a two-way guard from Duke
named Johnny Dawkins
. It looked like Krause would take Dawkins even as late as the morning of the draft; the coaches and players had made it clear that they wanted him and not Sellers, and Krause didn't particularly have a problem with Dawkins' game. The Bulls' head coach at the time, Doug Collins
, even told Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski the night before the draft that the team would pick Dawkins. However, Krause ignored everyone and picked Sellers anyway, and spent the summer trying to sell him to Jordan. Jordan went after Sellers mercilessly in practice and Sellers was subsequently out of the league in a matter of years. Dawkins himself had an average NBA career, playing for 9 seasons and averaging 11.1 points per game.
Sellers was one of many Krause draft picks to underperform; others included Stacey King, Mark Randall, Will Perdue
and Marcus Fizer
. King and Perdue would serve as backup players on the Bulls' 1991-1993 Championship teams, but both players would later be traded away. During the 1993-94 NBA season, King was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves
in exchange for 7'2" Australia
n-born center Luc Longley
. Longley's emergence for the Bulls during the 1994-95 season made Perdue expendable. Just before the start of the 1995-96 season, Perdue was traded to the San Antonio Spurs
for Dennis Rodman
.
to New York for Bill Cartwright. Oakley, who happened to be Jordan's best friend on the team, was extremely tough, particularly on the boards and on defense. When the Pistons came after Jordan with their physical players, Oakley was his bodyguard. Cartwright was a true center, unlike the power forward Oakley, but was much older. Although Cartwright did not have Oakley's reputation as a lockdown defender, he was very effective at preventing opposing centers from dominating games, and was a more capable inside scorer. Jordan despised the trade, not only because of the players involved but also because of how they learned of it: via television, while he and Oakley were on their way to Las Vegas
to see a Mike Tyson
fight. Cartwright turned out to be everything the Bulls needed, however, providing a presence in the middle for all three Bulls championships from 1991-1993. Perhaps most importantly, Cartwright proved to be the league's best center at defending Patrick Ewing
, the New York Knicks
' star who was the key player on the Bulls' most important early-1990s conference rival. Jordan later admitted that he may have been wrong and Krause may have been right about the trade, but it changed nothing about Jordan's overall distrust and hatred for Krause. These feelings came to the surface in many different ways, including Jordan nicknaming Krause "Crumbs" in reference to his morbid obesity and slovenly appearance. One of the most notable ways was demonstrated in the 1992 Olympics
, when the Dream Team
, including Jordan and Pippen, took on Croatia
for the gold medal. The Croatia team featured Toni Kukoč
, a young star whom Krause had discovered through European contacts and was courting to a degree that some of the Bulls found annoying. Jordan biographer David Halberstam
said that Jordan and Pippen "seemed to play against Kukoc as if they had a vendetta", and that "in the end, it was as if they had been playing not against Kukoc but against Krause." Jordan would later be quoted as saying: "The trade of Oakley was good, and the best thing he did was to get Pippen and Grant. That's it. His claim to fame is that he drafted Earl Monroe
for the Bullets. And I say to him, 'What pick was that?' He says, 'Two.' And I say, 'Hell! Earl Monroe was a real secret, huh? A real secret? If you hadn't taken him, he'd have gone third!'"
and free agent Ron Harper
, but neither proved capable of leading Chicago to a championship, although Harper would play an invaluable role in the second "three-peat". Just before Jordan announced his retirement, Krause was finally able to persuade Kukoč to buy himself out of his European contract and join the Bulls. The 1993–94 Bulls made it to the conference semi-finals, where they lost to the New York Knicks in seven games. The Bulls had beaten the Knicks in the playoffs the three previous years.
When Jordan returned to the NBA at the end of the 1995 season, Krause once again went to work in assembling what has been labeled the best team in NBA history after offseason acquisition of Dennis Rodman
from the Spurs. The Bulls won an NBA record 72 games and Krause was named Executive of the Year
for the second time. The next year, they achieved a second best-ever NBA season with 69 wins and repeated as champions.
had been friends for years, but their relationship was, in Jackson's opinion, shattered early in the 1990s after Chicago Tribune
reporter Sam Smith (who Krause despised) published a book on the 1991 title team, The Jordan Rules
. The book detailed the tension that already existed between Krause and the players, and ultimately drove a wedge between Krause and Jackson. Regardless of the success Jackson had as head coach of the Bulls, the tension between Jackson and Krause grew in the succeeding years, and by the 1997–98 season, was especially illustrated by the following incidents:
Amid the distractions, the Bulls still won their sixth title in eight years.
After the Bulls' final title of the Jordan
era in 1998, Jackson left the team vowing never to coach again but after he took a year off he decided to give it another chance with the Lakers. Longtime friend of Krause and Bulls assistant coach, Tex Winter
, who was the architect of the triangle offense, also soon left the Bulls to accept a job working with Jackson and the Lakers. Krause said that he has not spoken to Jackson since. Despite the obvious joined success of coach, player and general manager, Krause, Jackson and Jordan have never posed together in any photograph. When Jordan was inducted into the Hall of Fame, Krause was not in attendance. While Jordan stated that he did not invite Krause to the ceremony and said "I don't know who would invite him," Krause said that while he and Jordan were never friends, he would not have attended the ceremony in any case, because of his personal boycott of the Hall of Fame over their refusal to induct Winter.
, Ron Artest
, Marcus Fizer
, Jamal Crawford
, and Jay Williams
to the Bulls but it would be the 2001 draft that stood out. After finishing 15-67 during the 2000-2001 season, Krause decided to gamble and trade away his best player in Brand for high schooler Tyson Chandler
who was hyped as "the next Kevin Garnett", and draft another high schooler in Eddy Curry
who, similarly, was hyped as a slightly smaller version of Shaquille O'Neal
, with the fourth overall pick in the draft.
Krause believed that the tandem of Chandler and Curry would develop into elite players and provide the foundation for another dynasty. A mid-season trade the following year brought scorer Jalen Rose
to the Bulls in exchange for Brad Miller and Artest which cleared playing time for the two rookies. After drafting Jay Williams during the offseason, the Bulls had a roster with Rose, Crawford, Curry, Chandler, Williams, and Fizer that fulfilled Krause's dream of a talented young athletic team. The Bulls showed some improvement the following year.
, Miller
and Artest
became All-Stars for their new teams. Krause went back to his roots and worked briefly for the New York Yankees
baseball
team as a scout, before joining the New York Mets
in 2005. In 2010, he rejoined the Chicago White Sox
as a scout, a position he had held in the 1970s and 80s. He lives in suburban Chicago
with his wife, Thelma, and appears occasionally on sports radio as an analyst.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
scout and general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
for, among other franchises, the Baltimore Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
and, most notably, the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. He is a two-time recipient of the NBA's Executive of the Year
NBA Executive of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Executive of the Year Award is an annual award given since the 1972–73 NBA season, to the league's best general managers. Before 2009, the Executive of the Year is presented annually by Sporting News, although it is officially recognized by the NBA. Since then,...
award.
Early career
Krause was born in 1939 and grew up in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. He played high school baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
as a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
at Taft High School in Chicago and attended Bradley University
Bradley University
Bradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
.
After college he went to work as a scout with the Baltimore Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
. Early on Krause gained a reputation of being able to eye talent. He is credited for discovering future Hall of Famer Earl Monroe
Earl Monroe
Vernon Earl Monroe is an American former professional basketball player known for his flamboyant dribbling, passing, and play-making. His nicknames is "Earl the Pearl".-Early years:...
.
While with the Bullets, he had urged the team to pick North Dakota
North Dakota Fighting Sioux
The North Dakota Fighting Sioux are the athletic teams of the University of North Dakota , which is located in the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota, in the United States. The logo is a Native American figure. The logo was designed by Bennett Brien, a local artist and UND graduate of Ojibwa...
forward Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson is a retired American professional basketball coach and player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association . His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998;...
in the 1967 NBA Draft
1967 NBA Draft
The 1967 NBA Draft was the 21st annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on May 3, 1967 before the 1967–68 season. In this draft, 12 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility...
. The Bullets did not draft him, but Krause continued to keep in touch during Jackson's playing career and into his first years as a coach. Their relationship flourished during the 1970s and 1980s; notably, when Jackson was coaching the Albany Patroons
Albany Patroons
The Albany Patroons were a professional basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association ....
in the Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
, Krause once called him requesting an analysis of the league's players, which Jackson provided in great detail.
After a few years with Baltimore, Krause worked as a scout with the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
, Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
, Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
in the 1970s before he left pro basketball to scout pro baseball instead. He was scouting for the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
when he received a call from new Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
owner Jerry Reinsdorf
Jerry Reinsdorf
Jerry M. Reinsdorf is a CPA, lawyer and an owner of the MLB's Chicago White Sox and the NBA's Chicago Bulls. He started his professional life as a tax attorney with the Internal Revenue Service. He has been the head of the White Sox and Bulls for over 20 years.He made his initial fortune in real...
to join the Bulls as their new General Manager and once again work in pro basketball.
The Chicago Bulls
Krause succeeded Rod Thorn as Chicago BullsChicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
GM in 1985, and managed the franchise as Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
and Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson is a retired American professional basketball coach and player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association . His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998;...
ascended to elite status in their respective positions.
Drafting
Krause found two gems in the 1987 draft: Scottie PippenScottie Pippen
Scottie Maurice Pippen is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association . He is most remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls, with whom he was instrumental in six NBA Championships and their record 1995–96 season of 72 wins...
, a small forward from the University of Central Arkansas
University of Central Arkansas
The University of Central Arkansas is a state-run institution located in the city of Conway, the seat of Faulkner County, north of Little Rock and is the fourth largest university by enrollment in the U.S. state of Arkansas, and the third largest college system in the state. The school is most...
; and Horace Grant, a power forward from Clemson
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
. The two were, along with Jordan, cornerstones of the Bulls' 1991-1993 Championship teams. They were also culled from relative hoops obscurity; this went back to Krause's strength for finding players who were not well-received or even known by mainstream scouts.
However, Krause also made many picks that didn't help the team. In 1986, Krause planned on selecting a tall forward named Brad Sellers
Brad Sellers
Bradley Donn Sellers is a retired American professional basketball player. A 7'0" power forward/center from the University of Wisconsin and Ohio State University, he was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 1986 NBA Draft.Sellers was a controversial selection among the Bulls'...
in the NBA Draft. Sellers, Krause reasoned, was too good a pick to pass up, as he handled the ball very well for a big man, and also had a solid outside jumper. Jordan, on the other hand, pushed management to take a two-way guard from Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
named Johnny Dawkins
Johnny Dawkins
-External links:*...
. It looked like Krause would take Dawkins even as late as the morning of the draft; the coaches and players had made it clear that they wanted him and not Sellers, and Krause didn't particularly have a problem with Dawkins' game. The Bulls' head coach at the time, Doug Collins
Doug Collins
Paul Douglas "Doug" Collins is a retired American basketball player, a former four-time NBA All-Star and currently the head coach of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers.-High school and college:...
, even told Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski the night before the draft that the team would pick Dawkins. However, Krause ignored everyone and picked Sellers anyway, and spent the summer trying to sell him to Jordan. Jordan went after Sellers mercilessly in practice and Sellers was subsequently out of the league in a matter of years. Dawkins himself had an average NBA career, playing for 9 seasons and averaging 11.1 points per game.
Sellers was one of many Krause draft picks to underperform; others included Stacey King, Mark Randall, Will Perdue
Will Perdue
William Edward Perdue is a retired American NBA basketball player who won four NBA Championships. Perdue is now an ESPN basketball commentator and analyst.Perdue attended Merritt Island High School, Merritt Island, Florida...
and Marcus Fizer
Marcus Fizer
Darnell Marcus Lamar Fizer is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent.- High school career :Fizer played high school basketball at Arcadia High School in Arcadia, Louisiana...
. King and Perdue would serve as backup players on the Bulls' 1991-1993 Championship teams, but both players would later be traded away. During the 1993-94 NBA season, King was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
in exchange for 7'2" Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n-born center Luc Longley
Luc Longley
Lucien James "Luc" Longley is a retired Australian professional basketball player, who was the first Australian to play in the NBA, where he played for eleven seasons...
. Longley's emergence for the Bulls during the 1994-95 season made Perdue expendable. Just before the start of the 1995-96 season, Perdue was traded to the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
for Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
.
The Oakley trade
Krause made another transaction in 1988 to which Jordan strongly objected. It was clear that the Bulls needed a center if they were to contend for a title, so Krause dealt Charles OakleyCharles Oakley
Charles Oakley is a retired American professional basketball player and is currently an assistant coach for the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association...
to New York for Bill Cartwright. Oakley, who happened to be Jordan's best friend on the team, was extremely tough, particularly on the boards and on defense. When the Pistons came after Jordan with their physical players, Oakley was his bodyguard. Cartwright was a true center, unlike the power forward Oakley, but was much older. Although Cartwright did not have Oakley's reputation as a lockdown defender, he was very effective at preventing opposing centers from dominating games, and was a more capable inside scorer. Jordan despised the trade, not only because of the players involved but also because of how they learned of it: via television, while he and Oakley were on their way to Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
to see a Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
fight. Cartwright turned out to be everything the Bulls needed, however, providing a presence in the middle for all three Bulls championships from 1991-1993. Perhaps most importantly, Cartwright proved to be the league's best center at defending Patrick Ewing
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle...
, the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
' star who was the key player on the Bulls' most important early-1990s conference rival. Jordan later admitted that he may have been wrong and Krause may have been right about the trade, but it changed nothing about Jordan's overall distrust and hatred for Krause. These feelings came to the surface in many different ways, including Jordan nicknaming Krause "Crumbs" in reference to his morbid obesity and slovenly appearance. One of the most notable ways was demonstrated in the 1992 Olympics
Basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics
The Basketball games of the 1992 Summer Olympics were played at the Pavelló Olímpic de Badalona. 12 men's teams and 8 women's teams participated in the tournament....
, when the Dream Team
1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team
The 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, nicknamed the "Dream Team", was the first American Olympic team to feature active NBA players. Often considered one of the strongest teams assembled in any sport, it defeated its opponents by an average of almost 44 points en route to the gold ...
, including Jordan and Pippen, took on Croatia
Croatia national basketball team
The Croatian national basketball team represents Croatia at international tournaments. It is organized by the Croatian Basketball Federation...
for the gold medal. The Croatia team featured Toni Kukoč
Toni Kukoc
Toni Kukoč is a retired Croatian professional basketball player. He was renowned for his versatility and passing ability; although his natural position was small forward, he played all five positions on the court with prowess and demonstrated court vision and an outside shooting touch that were...
, a young star whom Krause had discovered through European contacts and was courting to a degree that some of the Bulls found annoying. Jordan biographer David Halberstam
David Halberstam
David Halberstam was an American Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author and historian, known for his early work on the Vietnam War, his work on politics, history, the Civil Rights Movement, business, media, American culture, and his later sports journalism.-Early life and education:Halberstam...
said that Jordan and Pippen "seemed to play against Kukoc as if they had a vendetta", and that "in the end, it was as if they had been playing not against Kukoc but against Krause." Jordan would later be quoted as saying: "The trade of Oakley was good, and the best thing he did was to get Pippen and Grant. That's it. His claim to fame is that he drafted Earl Monroe
Earl Monroe
Vernon Earl Monroe is an American former professional basketball player known for his flamboyant dribbling, passing, and play-making. His nicknames is "Earl the Pearl".-Early years:...
for the Bullets. And I say to him, 'What pick was that?' He says, 'Two.' And I say, 'Hell! Earl Monroe was a real secret, huh? A real secret? If you hadn't taken him, he'd have gone third!'"
Rebuilding after the first retirement of Jordan
The first retirement of Jordan, following the 1993 NBA season, brought massive change to the Chicago Bulls roster. Krause attempted to replace Jordan with defensive specialist Pete MyersPete Myers
Peter E. Myers is an American former professional basketball player and an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors.-NBA career:Myers played in the NBA from 1986 to 1991 and also from 1994 to 1998...
and free agent Ron Harper
Ron Harper
Ronald "Ron" Harper is a retired American professional basketball player whose career spanned from 1986 to 2001 with four teams in the NBA. At 6 ft 6 in , his position was shooting guard/point guard.- Collegiate career :...
, but neither proved capable of leading Chicago to a championship, although Harper would play an invaluable role in the second "three-peat". Just before Jordan announced his retirement, Krause was finally able to persuade Kukoč to buy himself out of his European contract and join the Bulls. The 1993–94 Bulls made it to the conference semi-finals, where they lost to the New York Knicks in seven games. The Bulls had beaten the Knicks in the playoffs the three previous years.
When Jordan returned to the NBA at the end of the 1995 season, Krause once again went to work in assembling what has been labeled the best team in NBA history after offseason acquisition of Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
from the Spurs. The Bulls won an NBA record 72 games and Krause was named Executive of the Year
NBA Executive of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Executive of the Year Award is an annual award given since the 1972–73 NBA season, to the league's best general managers. Before 2009, the Executive of the Year is presented annually by Sporting News, although it is officially recognized by the NBA. Since then,...
for the second time. The next year, they achieved a second best-ever NBA season with 69 wins and repeated as champions.
"The Last Dance"
Krause and head coach Phil JacksonPhil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson is a retired American professional basketball coach and player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association . His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998;...
had been friends for years, but their relationship was, in Jackson's opinion, shattered early in the 1990s after Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
reporter Sam Smith (who Krause despised) published a book on the 1991 title team, The Jordan Rules
The Jordan Rules (book)
The Jordan Rules: The Inside Story of a Turbulent Season with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls is a 1991 book by Sam Smith, chronicling the Chicago Bulls' 1990-91 championship season...
. The book detailed the tension that already existed between Krause and the players, and ultimately drove a wedge between Krause and Jackson. Regardless of the success Jackson had as head coach of the Bulls, the tension between Jackson and Krause grew in the succeeding years, and by the 1997–98 season, was especially illustrated by the following incidents:
- During the summer of 1997, Krause's stepdaughter got married. All of the Bulls assistant coaches and their wives were invited to the wedding, as was Tim FloydTim FloydTim Floyd is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the University of Texas at El Paso Miners men's basketball team. He is also a former head coach of several teams in both the NCAA and the NBA, most recently the University of Southern California men's college...
, then the head coach at Iowa StateIowa State Cyclones men's basketballThe Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team represents Iowa State University and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I.-Johnny Orr era :...
, whom Krause was openly courting as Jackson's successor (and who would eventually succeed Jackson). Jackson and his then wife, June, were not even told of the wedding, much less invited, only finding out about the event when the wife of Cartwright, who by that time had become a Bulls assistant, asked June what she would be wearing to the reception. - After contentious negotiations between Jackson and the Bulls in that same period, Jackson was signed for the 1997-98 season only. Krause announced the signing in what Chicago media widely considered to be a mean-spirited manner, emphasizing that Jackson would not be rehired even if the Bulls won the 1997–98 title. That triggered an argument between Jackson and Krause in which Jackson essentially told Krause that he seemed to be rooting for the other side and not the Bulls. At that point, Krause told Jackson, "I don't care if it's 82-and-0 this year, you're fucking gone."
- Krause publicly portrayed Jackson as a two-faced character who had very little regard for his assistant coaches, a perception that certain Krause associates in the Bulls organization had sought to spread about Jackson. At the height of the hard feelings in the spring of 1998, one of Krause's scouts went to press row in Chicago's United CenterUnited CenterThe United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
to explain to a reporter the insidious nature of Jackson's ego (excerpt from the Phil Jackson biography Mindgames).
Amid the distractions, the Bulls still won their sixth title in eight years.
After the Bulls' final title of the Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
era in 1998, Jackson left the team vowing never to coach again but after he took a year off he decided to give it another chance with the Lakers. Longtime friend of Krause and Bulls assistant coach, Tex Winter
Tex Winter
Morice Fredrick "Tex" Winter is a Hall-of-Fame American basketball coach, and innovator of the triangle offense.-Early life:...
, who was the architect of the triangle offense, also soon left the Bulls to accept a job working with Jackson and the Lakers. Krause said that he has not spoken to Jackson since. Despite the obvious joined success of coach, player and general manager, Krause, Jackson and Jordan have never posed together in any photograph. When Jordan was inducted into the Hall of Fame, Krause was not in attendance. While Jordan stated that he did not invite Krause to the ceremony and said "I don't know who would invite him," Krause said that while he and Jordan were never friends, he would not have attended the ceremony in any case, because of his personal boycott of the Hall of Fame over their refusal to induct Winter.
Rebuilding
Deciding that the Bulls were aging and facing an uncertain future, Krause chose to unload the veterans and rebuild. Few major players were added though (other than from drafts).Younger talent
The draft brought prolific collegiate players such as Elton BrandElton Brand
Elton Tyron Brand is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association...
, Ron Artest
Ron Artest
Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
, Marcus Fizer
Marcus Fizer
Darnell Marcus Lamar Fizer is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent.- High school career :Fizer played high school basketball at Arcadia High School in Arcadia, Louisiana...
, Jamal Crawford
Jamal Crawford
Jamal Crawford is an American professional basketball player who most recently played with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. He is a 6'5" and 200 lb shooting guard–point guard...
, and Jay Williams
Jay Williams (basketball)
Jason David Williams , professionally known as Jay Williams, is a former American professional basketball player with the NBA Chicago Bulls. He last signed with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League, but was waived by the Toros on December 30, 2006 to rehabilitate a nagging injury...
to the Bulls but it would be the 2001 draft that stood out. After finishing 15-67 during the 2000-2001 season, Krause decided to gamble and trade away his best player in Brand for high schooler Tyson Chandler
Tyson Chandler
Tyson Cleotis Chandler is an American professional basketball center who most recently played for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. He was also a member of the United States men's national basketball team.-High school:...
who was hyped as "the next Kevin Garnett", and draft another high schooler in Eddy Curry
Eddy Curry
Eddy Curry is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. He was born in Harvey, Illinois...
who, similarly, was hyped as a slightly smaller version of Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
, with the fourth overall pick in the draft.
Krause believed that the tandem of Chandler and Curry would develop into elite players and provide the foundation for another dynasty. A mid-season trade the following year brought scorer Jalen Rose
Jalen Rose
Jalen Anthony Rose is a retired American professional basketball player, who currently works as a sports analyst for the sports television network ESPN...
to the Bulls in exchange for Brad Miller and Artest which cleared playing time for the two rookies. After drafting Jay Williams during the offseason, the Bulls had a roster with Rose, Crawford, Curry, Chandler, Williams, and Fizer that fulfilled Krause's dream of a talented young athletic team. The Bulls showed some improvement the following year.
Retirement
However, in 2003, Krause retired as GM. The official explanation involved obesity related health problems. The Bulls fell to 23-59 in the next season, and Krause's dream of a talented young athletic team imploded with all of his draft picks and signings traded or out of the league within three years, and all remnants of Krause were gone from the Bulls in 2006 when Chandler was traded away. Curry and Chandler have had success in the league, but perhaps have not lived up to the lofty expectations that Krause had. Meanwhile, former players BrandElton Brand
Elton Tyron Brand is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association...
, Miller
Brad Miller (basketball)
Bradley Alan Miller is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA...
and Artest
Ron Artest
Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
became All-Stars for their new teams. Krause went back to his roots and worked briefly for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team as a scout, before joining the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in 2005. In 2010, he rejoined the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
as a scout, a position he had held in the 1970s and 80s. He lives in suburban Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
with his wife, Thelma, and appears occasionally on sports radio as an analyst.