Artis Gilmore's inclusion in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2011 added an even more distinct Bulls feel to the already reported inductions of Dennis Rodman and Tex Winter.
But there is one Bull who yet again didn't get the Hall call because, stunningly, he never even has been named a finalist for consideration: Jerry Krause.
It's way past time for this oversight to change.
Think what you want about how much blame Krause should take for the dynasty's end, even if myriad factors created more than enough blame to share. Ridicule him, if you feel you must, for lack of social graces or occasional verbal missteps.
Then look up at the United Center rafters, where six championships banners hang. Or travel to Springfield, Mass., and stroll through the Hall of Fame itself.
Phil Jackson is honored there. Krause hired him from the Continental Basketball Association to work on Doug Collins' staff. Scottie Pippen is too. Krause acquired his rights in that famous 1987 draft-day trade. Jerry Sloan, Wes Unseld and Earl Monroe are in. Krause helped draft them as a scout for the Baltimore Bullets.
And now, come August, Rodman and Winter will be honored as well. Krause traded Will Perdue for the former and hired the latter, bringing the triangle offense Jackson has used for 11 championship teams into the NBA.
"How many general managers have six championships?" Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said by phone. "The first three championships, the only player who was on the team when Krause took over was (Michael) Jordan. Granted, he was Superman. But you still need a team. And then the second three-peat, Jordan and Pippen were the only two leftover from the first three-peat. So the guy obviously did a great job putting those teams together.
"Phil Jackson was on his way out of basketball. Krause spotted him coaching the Albany Patroons. Phil wrote in one of his books he had given up any chance of getting back in the NBA. He was about to go to law school when Krause came after him. I also remember one of the things Jerry said to me when I was interviewing him for the job was he was going to get Tex Winter. I didn't know the triangle from a quadrangle. But look at all the great teams he built."
Krause once told me the roster he inherited from Rod Thorn in March 1985 featured Jordan and 11 players he wanted elsewhere. So he went to work.
In his 18 years with the Bulls, he drafted Charles Oakley, Horace Grant, B.J. Armstrong, Perdue, Toni Kukoc and Elton Brand, among others. He signed Ron Harper, John Paxson, Steve Kerr, Bill Wennington, Jud Buechler, Randy Brown, Robert Parish and Brian Williams, among others. And he traded for Pippen's draft rights, Bill Cartwright, Luc Longley and Rodman.
Sure, Krause had misses. Tim Floyd wormed his way into Krause's good graces via fishing, an insult to Jackson, whom Krause and Reinsdorf still tried to convince to stay in 1998. Eddie Robinson and Ron Mercer were free-agent wastes.
But the hits were far more frequent.
"For Jerry to have brought Tex in at that time showed unbelievable foresight to how he envisioned the game to be played at this level with a great player like Michael," said Paxson, who succeeded Krause.
Rodman led the NBA in rebounding three straight seasons from 1996-98, and his averages of 14.9, 16.1 and 15 are the three highest in franchise history. He also earned All-Defensive first-team honors in 1996.
"The guys who rebound and defend are always the guys teammates and coaches love because it's a sacrifice," Paxson said of Rodman.
Gilmore preceded Krause, averaging 19.3 points and 11.1 rebounds over seven seasons and 482 games. He ranks first in franchise history in field-goal percentage (.587), blocks (1,029), second in defensive rebounds (3,851) and sixth in points (9,288). Gilmore also had a successful ABA career for the Kentucky Colonels and five-season run with the Spurs, where he teamed with a rookie Paxson.
"He was one of the big men who found a way to dominate the game," Paxson said.
Krause did too in his own way. And with him turning 72 on Wednesday, it's time to change nicknames like "Crumbs" and "Sleuth" and make him merely "Hall of Famer, Class 2012."
In 2004, Krause resigned from the voting panel and said he never would again set foot in the Hall of Fame until Winter earned induction.
Winter is in. Krause should be too.
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