Journalist Lays Jerry Krause’s Widow’s Pain Bare in Gut-Wrenching Revelation After Ring of Honor Ugliness

In 1996, veteran journalist J.A. Andande asked in The Washington Post, “Will fans boo Jerry Krause, the team’s vice president of operations, as they have in the past?” Tragically, boos followed every success in Jerry Krause’s career. It didn’t spare him when he was posthumously inducted into the inaugural Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor on January 12, 2024.

The difference is social media exists today and those in civilized society get to call out those disgraceful spectators in United Center. Adande brought back his three-decade-old profile of the beleaguered Bulls GM with a piercing comment. “When Jerry Krause was still alive he told me getting booed by Bulls fans only bothered him when his wife was present and she got upset, which makes the fact that she was the one who had to hear the boos tonight even sadder.”

Heartbreakingly, Krause’s fears manifested. His widow, Thelma Krause was in United Center on his behalf last night. Contrasting the glorious reception to the other 12 honorees, Thelma had to endure unnecessary boos when her husband’s name was called. This incident completely marred the historic night and reduced Thelma to tears.

The Bulls organization, players past and present, fans, and NBA media have not spared whoever those faceless spectators in United Center were. Andade added a shocking perspective to Thelma’s pain of witnessing this treatment to her husband over and over.

Everyone theorized that The Last Dance painted Krause as a bitter caricature jealous of Head Coach Phil Jackson and the star player, Michael Jordan getting all the credit. Andade, who basically stated in a single headline, “KRAUSE IS THE BRAINS BEHIND THESE BULLS,” revealed that the GM had to develop a thick skin to these jeers, but his wife was unable to.

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“I haven’t been booed in a while,” Krause said in 1996. He was the villain in fans’ minds during the first three championships. Michael Jordan retired in 1993, came back in 1995, and won a fourth championship in 1996. That gap was Krause’s solace.

“It’s been a few years. I think that gets overplayed. But I haven’t been booed in a few years. It bothered me at one time. There was one incident that bothered me because of my wife, it really bothered me- at Michael’s retirement thing. She was crying. But I’ve learned to handle that stuff. It hasn’t happened in a long time.”

Jerry Krause couldn’t catch a break

Every clash with MJ or Scottie Pippen overshadowed Krause’s contributions to the team. He played the bad guy to construct a championship-winning formula of players based on sustainability, age, and injuries. Yet when he had to walk across the court to collect his championship ring, spectators rained boos on him.

20 years before he passed away, Krause owned the hate like a batch of honor when speaking to Andade. He had the support of Bulls owner, Jerry Reinsdorf, and fellow GMs who voted him NBA Executive of the Year. All he wished was his wife didn’t have to deal with it.

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The Bulls still have his back. They defended the decision to include him in the Ring of Honor and the likes of Stacey King, Steve Kerr, and DeMar DeRozan slammed the disrespect towards Thelma Krause.