X Photo
I will openly admit I rarely watched the NBA until coach John Calipari came to Kentucky. I don’t subscribe to NBA Television nor do I ever plan my schedule around an NBA game. I will occasionally watch part of a game just to see how the Kentucky guys are doing.
I don’t know what made me read the article last week about the inaugural Ring of Honor ceremony the Chicago Bulls hosted at the United Center.
I will always remember that article and video. In fact, it is one video I will never re-watch. It breaks my heart. People can be so cruel.
Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen did not attend the ceremony held on the hardwood of the United Center which was transformed into a banquet hall filled with old, new and present Bulls. The ceremony centered on the 1995-1996 team although its franchise players were absent.
There was a person who did attend, Thelma Krause. She’s the widow of Jerry Krause, the longtime manager of the Bulls who passed away in 2017.
Krause played a major role in creating one of the greatest NBA teams ever assembled. Although his relationships with some of the top players were often on shaky ground it was not a night for such disrespect. It was a night to celebrate the memories and I feel confident that is why his widow attended.
As Thelma accepted the award on behalf of her husband the boos rang through the United Center. The video shows a visibly shaken older lady with tears streaming down her face and a look of pain in her eyes. She did not deserve this. It is hurtful to think that her last memory of a place that held so many good memories will be one of devastation.
Media members, coaches and athletes have all spoken about the inexcusable actions of the crowd. What is done is done and I am not sure there is anything that could make the situation better.
I have always enjoyed attending Kentucky games at the United Center. The location is not ideal and it is showing its age but to me it was always the history within its walls. The statues, the Bulls locker room (I snuck in once) just seemed sacred to basketball fans.
The next time I enter the doors I will only think of Thelma Krause. It was the place that ripped a part of her soul on that cold January night.
6 Responses
Wow, that is low. I bet a third of the people that boo didn’t know who she is and what she meant to the franchise.
This is the age we live in now. Horrible behavior. Some people have made sports a religion in and of itself. It is not, it is entertainment. Not life or death like some make it. I feel for this woman. I wish her peace and joy, and happiness, and hope in a God who can do far above what we ask or think. Very sad, and those fans who acted like morons should hear about this for a long time.
Chicago fans are jerks in every sport.
No class.
6 championships with arguably the greatest player ever. Not sure what’s to complain about.
Agree 100% with LP. This is a prime example of why I never watch NBA.
I bet half the people there couldn’t give you a reason why they were booing. Yet they somehow feel better about themselves by making an old lady cry.
I agree Graefenburg Cat