There’s been some extremely sad news in the NBA world today, as former Chicago Bulls GM Jerry Krause passed away at the age of 77. Krause was the man behind all six of the Bulls’ NBA Championships in the 1990s.
Jerry Krause: Cause of Death
It’s being reported from the Chicago Tribune that Krause died after battling several health issues, including osteomyelitis.
Krause was a Chicago, Illinois native, and he graduated from Bradley University. After college, he got his start in basketball as a scout, working for the Baltimore Bullets. He would also work as a scout for the Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Chicago Bulls throughout the 1970s. Krause would then make the switch to pro baseball, scouting for the Chicago White Sox until Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of both the White Sox and Bulls, hired him to be the general manager of the Bulls in 1985.
The Bulls already had Michael Jordan when Krause joined the team, but he would make numerous genius moves that lead to the formation of a dynasty. As GM of the Bulls, Krause drafted Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, and Toni Kukoc, hired Phil Jackson, and traded for Dennis Rodman. He was named the NBA’s Executive of the Year twice, and he served as GM for the Bulls for 18 seasons until he was let go in 2003.
After his tenure with the Bulls was over, Krause returned to baseball as a scout, working for several different MLB teams. Krause was most recently employed by the Arizona Diamondbacks until he retired last year.
Krause is a finalist to enter the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this year in the contributor category, and he is most definitely a lock to be enshrined. Krause is survived by his wife Thelma, two stepchildren, and four grandchildren.
