It was supposed to be a celebratory evening at the United Center, but fans of the former NBA champion Chicago Bulls ruined it.
When the first members were inducted into the Ring of Honor of the famous NBA basketball club, the late former general manager Jerry Krause was booed when his name was announced, and his widow Thelma experienced the undignified and embarrassing moment in the arena.
The ceremony took place during halftime in the Bulls’ NBA home game against the Golden State Warriors (131:140), and visiting coach Steve Kerr was bitterly disappointed by the incident. “For me this is absolutely shameful and I am deeply dismayed,” said Kerr, who won three titles with the Bulls as a professional and is part of the new circle of honor. He feels sorry for Thelma and the Krause family.
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Krause, GM from 1985 to 2003, was the architect behind icon Michael Jordan’s six championships for the Bulls in the 1990s, but is blamed by many for the team’s disintegration. “His legacy deserves to be celebrated and respected,” Bulls CEO Michael Reinsdorf said in a statement. “We were incredibly honored to have Thelma with us tonight.”
“Chicago is a sports town, that was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced,” said former Bulls player Stacey King, now an expert on NBC, noting: “I felt sorry for that lady. She was in tears . Whoever booed her in that arena should be ashamed of themselves.”
The first members of the Ring of Honor include the entire 1995/96 team, which won 72 times in 82 games this season and became champions. Jordan, who sent a video message, as well as his then teammates Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman were not in the hall.