Report: Former Bulls GM Jerry Krause dies at 77

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 2:09 a.m. ET

Sports Illustrated, SI Wire/Sports Illustrated

Former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause has died at age 77, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

Krause, who is a finalist for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this year as a contributor to the sport, took over as Bulls GM in 1985, helping orchestrate the growth of Chicago’s eventual six-time championship teams around Michael Jordan. Krause was responsible for drafting future Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen and big man Horace Grant, among many others.

Krause was known to have a rocky relationship with then-Bulls head coach Phil Jackson, with Jackson leaving after the 1998 season and the Bulls’ sixth title. Jordan also retired after that season, although he would later briefly return to play for the Wizards.

He retired as Bulls general manager in 2003, with an official explanation pertaining to his health, and amid a struggling Bulls rebuild around young players.

Prior to working for the Bulls, Krause, a Chicago native, scouted for a handful of NBA teams and also in baseball for the Chicago White Sox, also the property of Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Krause returned to baseball scouting after leaving basketball, working for the Yankees, Mets and most recently the Diamondbacks in scouting capacities.

in this topic

National Basketball Association

Washington Wizards