“DOESN’T SOUND LIKE YOU FOUND DAMN EARL MONROE” - WHEN MICHAEL JORDAN DOWNPLAYED JERRY KRAUSE’S BIGGEST PRIDE POINT
Michael Jordan’s intimidation tactics extended beyond his scoring prowess or lockdown defense; it included his verbal assaults, interestingly, which targeted his opponents and team members alike; just ask Jerry Krause about that.
Moreover, given that both these Bulls members had a strained relationship, the five-time MVP left no chance to downplay Krause’s doings - and it only escalated to a point where he purposely downplayed one of Jerry’s proudest moments of drafting Earl Monroe in the 1967 draft.
Jordan on belittling Krause
Jordan’s sharp tongue spared no one. From teammate Rodney McCray in a practice session to Dan Patrick in an interview, it was clear that if anyone provoked Mike, be ready for the worst of his wraths. And Jerry, who constantly neglected the six-time NBA Finals MVP’s suggestions, became his frequent target.
Though Krause never made an impact as a player, he took immense pride in his off-the-court decisions, which included making the Baltimore Bullets aware of Monroe’s talents in the 1967 draft. However, once when the 14-time All-Star learned about his belief, it didn’t take him long to discredit it.
"Our general manager Jerry Krause always brags that he found Earl Monroe. I always say to Krause, 'What pick did you take him for the Bullets? No. 2, right? You don’t think someone would have found him at No. 3 or 4? Doesn’t sound like you found damn Earl Monroe,'" Jordan said. "But Krause, he lives for that stuff."
While Jordan’s intent was primarily to provoke Krause, his assertion somewhat held credit. Though Earl definitely came from a relatively low-profiled John Bartram High School, he took center stage as soon as he joined Winston-Salem State University. From averaging 23.2 points per game in his sophomore year to 41.5 points per game in his senior year, Monroe showed every trait to become an NBA superstar. So, while Krause was right about him, it wasn’t like he plucked him out of obscurity with a complete off-the-board selection.
Jordan left no chance to trigger Krause
Mike had a knack for provoking Chicago's exec at every chance he got. This extended to his Hall of Fame induction night, where, despite thanking many people he had worked with, he couldn't resist taking a jab at the former Bulls GM, even though Krause wasn’t in the audience.
"I don't know who invited him," Jordan said at the time. "I didn't."
It would have been entertaining to see the two go back and forth back in the day. Even if their off-court relationship wasn’t all brotherly, at least their shared partnership was impressive enough to lead the Bulls to their six championships.
2024-06-27T19:51:07Z dg43tfdfdgfd