Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to one of the greatest championship runs in NBA history. SI's Chris Mannix reflects on the 'The Last Dance' and explains why former GM Jerry Krause deserves more recognition for his contribution to the Bulls' dynasty. 

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Chris Mannix: The last dance documentary was endlessly entertaining and incredibly insightful, but it was also unbelievably unfair to former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause. If you knew nothing about Krause entering that documentary, you would probably come away with the idea that Krause was little more than a caretaker during the Bulls championship runs. But that couldn't be further from the truth. While crowds did inherit the team with Michael Jordan, who was clearly the driving force behind Chicago's six championships, it was Krause that assembled the team around him.

John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated

 It was Krauss who came away from that 1987 draft with both Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant mainstays on the Bulls championship teams. It was Krause who traded for Bill Cartwright, who is an instrumental part of the Bulls first three championships. Krause had his flaws, no question about it. He made some bad draft picks. He made some bad deals. And how he handled Phil Jacks situation at the end might have cost Chicago one or two more championships. 

John Biever/Sports Illustrated

But all the insults lobbed across by Jordan and Pippen, all the demeaning you're seeing of them AD have seen of them on this documentary. It doesn't do Krause the justice he deserves. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2017. He was one of the best executives of his generation. And make no mistake, the Chicago Bulls do not win a championship without the moves made by Jerry Krause. Michael Jordan was the biggest star, but it was Jerry Crouse working behind the scenes, making sure Jordan had the support he needed to win championships.

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