During Monday night’s coverage of the NBA on TNT, commentator Charles Barkley put Chicago Bulls fans on blast for making the widow of long-time Bulls executive Jerry Krause cry after they showered him with boos when his name was mentioned during a ceremony.
The Bulls held a little event on the floor to celebrate the team’s class of 2024 Ring of Honor inductees, and Thelma Krause, the widow of Jerry Krause, was on hand to accept her deceased husband’s induction. But when Krause’s name was read out over the speakers, fans erupted in boos.
The hatefest sent the 80-year-old woman to tears, and it was an attack that Barkley thought was shameful.
"It was a complete disgrace to the legacy of the Chicago Bulls… Whether you like Jerry Krause or not, that man's dead… His wife is there, and ya'll made that lady cry… That was total BS… That hurt my heart watching that thing." – Charles Barkleypic.twitter.com/Ra53zne3KC
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 16, 2024
“What happened in Chicago the other night was a disgrace,” Barkley said, according to Fox News. “It was a flatout disgrace. … Having his wife cry like that that was wrong on so many levels. Michael, Scottie and Dennis not showing up – that was wrong. It was a disgrace to the legacy of the Chicago Bulls. They’ve always been a great, great organization.”
Former Bulls GM Jerry Krause was boo'd during the team's Ring of Honor ceremony at halftime.
His wife Thelma, who appeared in his place, was captured on the big screen and visibly emotional during the booing.pic.twitter.com/7zLAtOTZvc
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 13, 2024
Barkley also blasted Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman for not bothering even to attend the little event.
“Not to have the greatest player in your organization there. You won six championships and Dennis and Scottie,” Barkley added. “First of all, I don’t why you would put a hundred guys in the Ring of Honor anyway, that’s just stupid. But what those fans did to Mrs. Krause, that was not cool. Everybody involved owes that lady an apology.”
“Whether you like Jerry Krause or not, that man’s dead. His wife is there, and ya’ll made that lady cry and that was total BS. … That hurt my heart watching that thing,” Barkley exclaimed.
Krause was a key member of the Bulls’ office for putting together the team that won six NBA championships in the 1990s.
Barkley is not the only person to blast the callous fans, though.
Bulls president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf also slammed the fans and said Krause, who passed away in 2017, earned respect.
“Jerry Krause is a six-time NBA champion and two-time NBA Executive of the Year,” Reinsdorf said in a statement. “He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for his accomplishments and is an important part of our history. His legacy deserves to be celebrated and respected. We were incredibly honored to have Thelma with us this evening to recognize Jerry as a member of the inaugural Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor.”
Owner Jerry Reinsdorf is on the court as the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame 2016 Class is announced during a break in the 2016 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship game between the Villanova Wildcats and the North Carolina Tar Heels at NRG Stadium on April 4, 2016, in Houston, Texas. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Many Bulls fans, though, have been miffed at Krause since 1997 when he was quoted as saying, “Players and coaches don’t win championships; organizations win championships,” as the team began to wind down its big winning years and players and coaches began to leave the team.
Krause had always claimed he was misquoted, and the word “alone” was left out of his statement. He claims he meant to say, “Players and coaches alone don’t win championships; organizations win championships.” But fans were piqued by what was reported the first time and felt Krause was trying to take all the credit for those six NBA championships.
It wasn’t just the quote, either. While Krause was a key figure during the winning years, he was also the main force for dismantling the team in 1998 when he fired coach Phil Jackson. Indeed, it was reported that Krause told Jackson that even if he led the Bulls to another championship in 1998, he would not have his contract renewed.
So, in the eyes of many fans, Jerry Krause was a sports villain. Not that this justifies making his widow cry, granted. But there is history to the boos.
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