Bulls fans ripped for ‘shameful’ act at Ring of Honor ceremony
Chicago Bulls fans were widely criticized on Friday night for their actions during the team’s Ring of Honor ceremony.
The Bulls decided to establish a Ring of Honor and inducted many former franchise members into the inaugural 2024 class. Neither Scottie Pippen nor Michael Jordan attended the festivities on Friday night, but the widow of former franchise general manager Jerry Krause attended — and she never expected what transpired.
Bulls fans booed when Krause was shown on the screen during the ceremony at halftime of the Bulls-Golden State Warriors games on Friday night. Krause’s widow Thelma was visibly distraught over the booing.
Fans labeled the boos towards Krause — and received by Thelma — as disrespectful and classless. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who won three championships with the Bulls as a player, called the actions “absolutely shameful.”
Jerry Krause died in 2017 at the age of 77. He was a two-time Executive of the Year Award winner and helped build the Bulls’ dynasty that won six championships. But he also has been criticized for breaking up the dynasty.
In particular, Krause was portrayed in “The Last Dance” as a villain by the Michael Jordan-produced documentary about the Bulls. That recent portrayal has heavily influenced the public and likely played a big role in what transpired on Friday.
Further Reading:
Mike Greenberg Calls Out Bulls Fans Over Booing
For starters, neither Michael Jordan nor Scottie Pippen, the undisputed greatest two players in franchise history, were in attendance.
While they didn’t clarify why they weren’t going to show up, it’s not a secret that they don’t have any sort of relationship right now, and their personal issues may have stood in the way.
On top of that, fans booed the late Jerry Krause when he was about to be honored, which led to Steve Kerr calling it shameful.
ESPN anchor Mike Greenberg took to Twitter to echo that same sentiment, calling them classless and clueless, as Krause was the architect behind their success, putting together strong teams around Michael Jordan and hiring Phil Jackson as well.
“Anyone booing the memory of Jerry Krause is not only classless, but also clueless. He built those teams: Phil, Scottie, Horace, Rodman, and kept the bench stocked with valuable role players. So, if you boo his family you are not only a jerk, you also have no clue,” Greenberg posted.
Even if there were reasons to boo Krause, which objectively shouldn’t be, booing his widow when he was supposed to be honored was not good.
Krause’s image took a massive hit following The Last Dance, as he was portrayed as the villain responsible for the end of the dynasty, and his relationship with Michael Jordan wasn’t exactly the best.
Granted, he didn’t make the best decisions at times, but all GMs make mistakes.
The Bulls became the most famous and renowned franchise in the league during his tenure in charge, and while it was mostly thanks to Jordan, he also deserved praise and respect.
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