Krause continues Hall of Fame boycott
Former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause says there's a simple reason why he's not in Springfield, Mass., this weekend for Michael Jordan's enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Krause is sending a Tex message.
Years ago, Krause made a vow never to return to the Hall of Fame unless Winter - a longtime Bulls assistant and creator of the triangle offense - was voted in.
"I would be a heck of a hypocrite if I went back on my word not to walk into that building," Krause said Friday on WSCR's Danny Mac Show.
"Many years ago I was on the Hall of Fame committee for five years. I resigned in a very public manner for a reason. The reason was because Tex Winter was not on the ballot one year. The committee had no say in who was on the ballot. The committee had no meetings. It was all done by mail and you did not know who the other committee members were."
Winter, who later followed Bulls coach Phil Jackson to the Los Angeles Lakers, is in poor health at 87, according to Krause.
"He's ill, he's sick. He suffered a very serious stroke about four months ago," Krause said.
Bulls fans surely remember that Krause and Jordan often had a rocky relationship during the championship era. Krause became the team's general manager after Jerry Reinsdorf's ownership group bought the team in 1985, following Jordan's rookie season.
"I have nothing but good memories (of Jordan)," Krause said Friday. "There were times that it got tough, which happens when you build an organization. I'm very proud of what he's done and how he conducted himself.
"First of all, he's the greatest player I've ever seen and I've seen them all in the NBA, from the early '60s on. He's also one of the two greatest competitors I've ever seen. The other is also going in the Hall of Fame (this weekend) and his name is Jerry Sloan."
Krause also heaped praise on the championship coaching staff, though it's not clear if he meant the version with Johnny Bach and Jim Cleamons as assistants or Jimmy Rodgers and Frank Hamblen.
"I don't know if that coaching staff will ever be duplicated," Krause said. "It was the best coaching staff, in my opinion, in the history of the NBA. It was one I was very proud to put together."