Michael Jordan always had a tumultuous relationship with the then-general manager of the Chicago Bulls, Jerry Krause. Their conflicts began when Krause traded MJ’s close friend, Charles Oakley, to the New York Knicks in 1988. The situation worsened when he disrespected two of Jordan’s biggest contemporaries, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
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The story surfaced during Jordan’s 1992 interview with the Playboy Magazine. He recounted asking Krause to name his hypothetical all-time NBA starting five. Since Krause was a fan of the 1960s and 1970s basketball, he primarily chose players from those eras. His picks thus included Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Julius Erving, Gus Johnson, and Bill Russell.
These selections infuriated Jordan. He couldn’t make peace with Krause, leaving Magic Johnson and Larry Bird off the list. Part of his frustration also stemmed from the Bulls GM ignoring him altogether. What started as a simple downtime game soon turned into a serious affair. It consequently ended with ‘The Black Jesus’ threatening Krause.
“I told him I’d kill him. Of all players, the all-time greats, he left off Magic and he left off Bird. He was excluding me.”
Jordan’s annoyance was somewhat justified. The rivalry between Johnson and Bird from the late 1970s and early 1980s is celebrated to this day. Many credit the intensity of their competition as a key factor in the NBA’s rising popularity during that time. They are often hailed for saving the league and protecting its future.
At the same time, each player mentioned in Krause’s list left an unparalleled legacy. For instance, Robertson was the undisputed king of triple-doubles. West and Erving served as prominent ambassadors for the NBA, while Johnson did the same for the ABA. Russell became synonymous with winning, boasting eleven championships to his name.
MJ‘s frustration became even more questionable when he shared his all-time list. Although Jordan selected himself, Bird, and Johnson in a heartbeat, he struggled to finalize the remaining two spots. He went back and forth between players like James Worthy, Kevin McHale, Moses Malone, David Robinson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
It’s safe to say that Jordan’s resentment toward Krause wasn’t really about the list itself. It was more about the tension between them at that time.
A glimpse into the Jordan-Krause feud
Krause was undoubtedly instrumental in building the two three-peat-winning rosters around Jordan. However, his desire to be at the forefront of affairs often caused a rift between them. This became public knowledge after MJ won his fifth championship in 1997. Before receiving the ring from the NBA Commissioner, David Stern, he teased Krause, saying,
“Jerry, do you wanna do some layup with us? They gotta lower the rim.”
Things hit the fan shortly after. To undermine the players, Krause famously praised the organization for winning the championships. This later prompted Jordan to call out Krause, saying,
“I think the organization put together a team but at the end of the day, the team gotta go out and play. So, in essence, I think the players win the championship.”
This tension played a part in MJ’s second retirement from the game in 1998. At the same time, Karuse failed to imitate his success in the following years. This eventually led to his resignation from the job in 2003.
