Hero or heel?

Jerry Krause has gone down in NBA history as the villain who destroyed the Chicago Bulls dynasty when he declared coach Phil Jackson wouldn’t be signed to a new contract before the 1997-98 season even began, regardless of whether the team won a third straight title and sixth overall under the Zen Master.

Krause was the Bulls’ general manager who ironically, built the Chicago dynasty. He had Bulls franchise owner Jerry Reinsdorf’s unconditional support in letting go of Jackson. “I don’t care if it’s 82-0 this year, you’re gone,” Krause told Jackson before the start of the season that the coach called “The Last Dance.” Michael Jordan wouldn’t play unless Jackson was the coach and neither Scottie Pippen nor Dennis Rodman wanted to stay with Krause. Pippen blamed Krause for refusing to renegotiate his contract in 1998 when he was only No. 6 in the Bulls salary hierarchy – Ron Harper, Toni Kukoc and Luc Longley earned more. In 1991, Pippen signed a seven-year $18 million contract that Krause shrewdly negotiated. Pippen inked the deal for security and clearly undervalued his worth. Krause took advantage of Pippen’s naivete. 

Pippen became disgruntled over his state of financial affairs and Jordan took his side. Krause wouldn’t budge in accommodating Pippen and during the 1998 season, tried to trade him to Boston for Antoine Walker. Pippen postponed surgery in the offseason as an apparent display of rebuke and played only 44 games in the regular campaign.

Krause had no part in drafting Jordan in 1984 as he was named the Bulls general manager the next year but he brought in key pieces that delivered six championships to Chicago – Jackson, Tex Winter, Pippen, Rodman, Steve Kerr and many more. Krause’s eye for talent was legendary. He was a scout for four NBA teams before joining the Bulls. When Krause was with the Baltimore Bullets (now Washington Wizards), he pushed to draft Earl Monroe and suggested to pick up Jackson. Management listened to his advice on Monroe but not on Jackson. Krause kept in touch with Jackson through his playing and early coaching years then took him to Chicago as head coach Doug Collins’ assistant. Krause eventually fired Collins on a disagreement over a coaching issue to put Jackson at the helm.

Krause loved the limelight and enjoyed being with the players because of the media attention. Jordan made fun of him, calling him “Crumbs” and didn’t hesitate to show displeasure over his presence. When Krause declared a parting of ways with Jackson, Jordan was furious. Krause’s disenchantment with Jackson could’ve stemmed from envy. Jackson was adored by his players, Krause wasn’t. After the “Last Dance,” it was clear that Krause would remain in charge of the Bulls and that meant the end of the Jordan era. If Krause was axed by Reinsdorf instead, maybe Jackson would’ve stayed for the chance of winning No. 7 with Jordan.

Krause died in 2017 at the age of 77 and an unpublished memoir claimed that he dismantled the Bulls franchise because there was no other option since Jackson and Jordan wouldn’t come back, regardless of who was general manager, Pippen was damaged goods and Rodman was uncontrollable. The season after the “Last Dance,” Chicago won 13 games with new coach Tim Floyd. The next season, the team won 17. Then, it went down to 15 until, during the 2001-02 season, Floyd was fired after a 4-21 start. Krause stayed with the Bulls until 2003 then left basketball forever, landing scouting jobs in baseball up to his retirement.

Today, Krause is vilified for spoiling what could’ve been another title run with Jordan in 1998-99. He was inducted posthumously into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017, after Jackson in 2007 and Winter in 2011. No doubt, Krause was the brilliant architect of the Bulls dynasty. He was named NBA Executive of the Year twice. But he was a victim of his own success. He thought Jordan, Jackson and Pippen were just his pawns and as the Kingmaker, he alone could sit on the throne. When Jordan and company left, Krause thought he could rebuild the dynasty with his master strokes. He didn’t realize his luck was anchored on the GOAT and had run out with MJ’s exit.