Michael Jordan is usually the consensus pick for basketball GOAT status. However, His Airness is undeniably guilty of some petty behavior.
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Fans and competitors alike knew never to tick off the wrath of Jordan. They knew better than to incur the wrath of the most dominant player in the league unwarranted.
However, Jerry Krause, who was arguably the main architect of their dynasty, never heeded that. He would often confront, disagree with and belittle Jordan during his tenure as the Bulls’ GM.
The rift between the front office and Jordan was amply clear by the time they embarked on their ‘Last Dance’. However, Jordan elected to keep that in public memory with the way he portrayed his former GM on his documentary.
Isiah Thomas lambasts Michael Jordan for the character assassination of Jerry Krause on The Last Dance
Isiah Thomas was recently a guest with long-term Celtics rival Cedric Maxwell on the latter’s podcast show. The duo talked a lot about basketball in the 1980s, with much focus on the Celtics-Pistons rivalry.
Their conversation gravitated towards MJ and the Bulls eventually, at which point Isiah had many things to complain about. He specifically said that Jerry Krause’s portrayal in The Last Dance was quite problematic:
“The biggest thing that disappointed me about watching ‘The Last Dance’ was seeing how Michael Jordan treated Jerry Krause in that documentary. In our era, these were the respected GMs – Red Auerbach, Jerry West, Wayne Embry, Jerry Krause, Jack McCloskey.”
“I could never imagine Red Auerbach being treated the way that Jerry Krause got treated by the players. I can’t imagine Jerry West getting on the bus and the Lakers dissing, I can’t imagine us treating Jack McCloskey the way the Bulls were treating Jerry Krause.”
“It’s one thing to do it privately, but it’s another thing to do it in your documentary. The man is gone. When I talk about The Last Dance and all, I think some facts just aren’t being presented.”
How bad was the relationship between MJ and Krause?
Jordan and Jerry Krause had a complex and often contentious relationship throughout their time together with the Chicago Bulls. While Krause played a critical role in building the team around Jordan and helping them achieve great success, their relationship was often strained due to various conflicts and disagreements.
One of the main points of tension between Jordan and Krause was the latter’s desire to take more credit for the Bulls’ success, particularly in terms of his role in building the team’s roster. Jordan, who was the team’s undisputed star player and leader, often felt that Krause was trying to take away from his own contributions and downplay his importance to the team’s success.
Jordan and Krause also clashed over various personnel decisions, particularly in the later years of their time together. Krause’s moves to bring in younger and cheaper players, including the decision to trade away key veterans like Scottie Pippen, were seen by Jordan and others as undermining the team’s chances of winning and hurting morale.
