Legendary NBA Coach Gets Honest About Jerry Krause

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With Jerry Krause's wife Thelma Krause representing him at the Chicago Bulls' Ring of Honor ceremony, several fans in attendance booed when the former executive's name was announced. Several prominent NBA figures have called out the Bulls fans who booed, with many others speaking on the legacy of Krause and why he should be celebrated rather than booed.
One of those NBA figures who has spoken out about Krause is legendary NBA coach George Karl. The former Denver Nuggets head coach, who spent time all around the league and overseas, put out a heartfelt message for Krause amid the heartbreaking scene in Chicago on Friday night:
I’ve owed Jerry Krause a large debt of gratitude for over 30 years. He saw my efforts with Real Madrid in the early 90s and helped reconnect me with the NBA and the Sonics.
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) January 13, 2024
The story of modern basketball and the NBA cannot be told without Jerry!! pic.twitter.com/5TBjzM7iGk
"I’ve owed Jerry Krause a large debt of gratitude for over 30 years," Karl wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). "He saw my efforts with Real Madrid in the early 90s and helped reconnect me with the NBA and the Sonics. The story of modern basketball and the NBA cannot be told without Jerry!!"
Many people have shared similar stories about the impact Krause had on them personally, along with the game of basketball as a whole. While there was obviously tension in Chicago between Krause and some of the Bulls' most prominent figures, most agree that what occurred on Friday night was unacceptable from the fans who booed, especially with Thelma Krause there on her husband's behalf.
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Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.