From March 26, 1985, until April 4, 2003, Jerry Krause was responsible for shaping the Chicago Bulls’ roster as vice president of basketball operations. He called the shots and yet, even after six championships, could never shake off the status of the underdog. He conducted 37 trades to win the first championship for the Bulls, was constantly evaluating talent and throughout his tenure remained who he was at heart—a scout. Krause’s fate was closely tied to his surroundings, the people he employed and the ones he ignored for certain positions.
This book examines Jerry Krause as a basketball scout and executive. Rather than redirecting hate, casting blame or clearing anybody’s name, it shows the other side of the Bulls dynasty— with a sharp focus on roster construction—and the interactions between the team, the staff and the front office. This is a story about making hard decisions and learning how to live with them.

Lukasz Muniowski (Ph.D., American literature, University of Warsaw) has written numerous academic articles on various topics, including gentrification, geek culture, American literature, video games and television series. He lives in Poland.

Łukasz Muniowski
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 226
Bibliographic Info: 8 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9265-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5345-7
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments v

Preface 1

Introduction: Public Hanging 3

 1. The Scout and the City 11

 2. Traveling Man 29

 3. Addition by Subtraction 47

 4. Top Sellers 72

 5. A Big Bill 90

 6. You Always Remember Your First 108

 7. Suffering from Success 121

 8. Good, Not Great 135

 9. Tough Guys Don’t Dance 150

10. Footwork and Chemistry 163

11. Baby Bulls 179

12. Hall of Fame 192

Chapter Notes 195

Bibliography 211

Index 215

• “Jerry Krause is easily one of the most complicated, fascinating figures I have encountered in all of my decades writing about the NBA. Deeply wounded from his early life, Krause somehow managed to fashion his pain into a memorable career in sports management. His collision with Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in Chicago in the 1990s proved epic in its impact. Lukasz Muniowski has captured all of this in his fine biography, which offers a fuller understanding of Krause’s story and perspective.”—Roland Lazenby, author of Michael Jordan: The Life and Magic: The Life of Earvin “Magic” Johnson

• “In my book, I portray Jordan as a modern-day Achilles; Muniowski does an excellent job of portraying basketball’s version of Agamemnon—Jerry Krause. The two characters (in the myth and on the Chicago Bulls) did not see eye to eye, but they were victorious together (Troy, 6 NBA championships). While all the glory went to Jordan, Krause was either overlooked or vilified. Muniowski finally gives voice and justice to one of the most enigmatic and successful managers/scouts in professional sports history. Fascinating read!”—Tomasz Jacheć, author of The Myth of Michael Jordan in Popular Culture