On January 12th, the Chicago Bulls held their first-ever “Ring of Honor” ceremony, honoring 13 Bulls legends and their achievements with the franchise. Among those honored were Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Phil Jackson, Steve Kerr, and several other notable Chicago names. The inaugural ceremony occurred during halftime of Friday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors.
The ceremony was nothing like Chicago envisioned, from no-shows to booing innocent family members. What started as an idea to honor Bulls greats slowly turned into a night of disappointment, disrespect, and ultimately, dishonor.
The Bulls’ Ring of Honor Ceremony Was a Night of Dishonor
Legends Missing in Action
The first set of disappointments came in the week leading up to the ceremony. Jordan, a six-time champion, five-time MVP, and undoubtedly the greatest Bull of all time, sent a video sharing his regrets of having to miss the Ring of Honor ceremony. He thanked the organization for honoring him and Bulls fans for their unwavering support.
Michael Jordan sent this message ahead of our Ring of Honor celebrations: pic.twitter.com/0HjOFFpXUj
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 12, 2024
Dennis Rodman, the eccentric power forward during Chicago’s second three-peat, could not attend due to weather. Rodman shared an emotional video to everyone in Chicago, expressing his gratitude and love for the city.
The other no-show was Pippen, who, unlike his former teammates, chose not to acknowledge the ceremony.
Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman were undoubtedly the three main faces of the Bulls during Chicago’s dynasty in the 90s. The absence of all three left the Ring of Honor ceremony feeling somewhat incomplete.
Chicago Fans Boo Late GM Jerry Krause
The absence of star players turned out to be the least of Chicago’s worries, though.
During the ceremony, former Bulls play-by-play announcer Neil Funk introduced and read aloud the accolades of each honoree. Fans all around the stadium cheered and applauded for those honored.
However, the cheering turned into booing when Funk read the name of the late general manager, Jerry Krause. Despite it being over 25 years ago, many Bulls fans still blame Krause for the ending of the Bulls’ dynasty. This is especially true after The Last Dance, the 10-part documentary about Chicago’s 1998 season that depicted Krause in a mostly negative light.
The booing was distasteful, considering Krause passed away in 2017. It was even more distasteful considering his wife, the widowed Thelma Krause, was in attendance representing him. Seeing her in tears on the Jumbotron as attending Bulls fans disparaged her late husband put a damper on the celebration.
Former Bulls GM Jerry Krause was boo'd during the team's Ring of Honor ceremony at halftime.
His wife Thelma, who appeared in his place, was captured on the big screen and visibly emotional during the booing.pic.twitter.com/7zLAtOTZvc
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 13, 2024
Several of those attending, including other honorees, commented on the disrespectful display from Bulls fans in attendance. Stacey King, former Chicago Bull and current color commentator for the team, had this to say:
“Chicago is a sports town and what we witnessed today when Jerry Krause’s name was called, and the people that booed Jerry Krause and his widow, who was accepting this honor for him, it was the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I hurt for that lady, it brought her to tears. Whoever booed her in this arena should be ashamed of themselves… that was really classless and I was disappointed in the people that booed.”
Kerr, who participated in Chicago’s second three-peat from ’96-’98, called the booing “absolutely shameful.”
Steve Kerr’s reaction to Jerry Krause being boo’d during the Ring of Honor pic.twitter.com/iFlAI0pGYF
— Will Gottlieb (@Will_Gottlieb) January 13, 2024
Krause served as Chicago’s general manager for 18 years, from 1985-2003. He played a significant role in building a championship team around Jordan, drafting Pippen, trading for Rodman, and making many other moves that led to the franchise’s six championships. Along with the six rings, Krause’s biggest achievements were winning Executive of the Year twice in 1988 and 1996 and being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
After All That… A Loss
To cap off an already tough night, the Bulls lost to the Warriors 140-131. Despite big games from DeMar DeRozan, Coby White, and Zach LaVine, Chicago could not hold strong against Kerr’s Warriors. Alongside Stephen Curry‘s 27 points, the Warriors saw a vintage 30-point performance from Klay Thompson and 24 points from Jonathan Kuminga. If the night wasn’t already ruined by all that had happened thus far, Golden State put the nail in the coffin.
The Last Word
The Bulls organization hoped that the inaugural Ring of Honor ceremony would be the start of a special tradition for players and fans. While things didn’t exactly go according to plan, the Bulls hope that this tradition can turn into something exciting and meaningful in years to come.
