NBA legend Isiah Thomas is making headlines for his bold declaration about one of the most polarizing executives in professional basketball.
In a conversation with NBA insider Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, the Chicago native labeled former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause as the greatest front-office figure in the city’s sports history.
“Jerry Krause is the best general manager in Chicago sports history,” Thomas said in a phone interview with Robinson ahead of the release of Scoop B Originals Presents: The Freezeout. “There’s nobody else as an executive who brought six NBA Championships to the city of Chicago. Name me somebody else who was better!”
Krause, who served as general manager of the Bulls from 1985 to 2003, was instrumental in building the franchise into a six-time NBA champion during the 1990s.
While Krause has long been a controversial figure—especially in the aftermath of The Last Dance documentary—Thomas offered a different perspective, one shaped by his upbringing in Chicago and early exposure to the Bulls’ inner circle.
“I love how Jerry Reinsdorf treated young people and when I became a pro it was even cooler,” Thomas continued. “In addition to Krause, I also appreciated the work of Rod Thorn and Joe O’Neil.”
Thomas’ comments come at a time when discussions about Krause’s legacy remain divided among fans and former players.
The longtime executive has often been viewed through the lens of his conflicts with superstars like Michael Jordan and head coach Phil Jackson, both of whom had public disagreements with Krause over personnel decisions and control of the team.
But for Thomas, who spent his formative years in Chicago before becoming a Hall of Fame point guard with the Detroit Pistons, Krause’s impact goes beyond interpersonal friction.
The 63-year-old emphasized that Krause’s ability to assemble and maintain a championship roster—featuring Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and others—put him in a category unmatched by any executive across the city’s rich sports history.
Krause’s front office moves included drafting Pippen and Horace Grant, acquiring Bill Cartwright and later Rodman, and hiring Phil Jackson—decisions that laid the foundation for two separate three-peats from 1991 to 1993 and 1996 to 1998.
Despite frequent criticism, particularly for how the dynasty came to an end, Krause was awarded NBA Executive of the Year twice and was inducted posthumously into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
Thomas’ comments suggest that the full story of Krause’s legacy is still being written, especially when viewed through a hometown lens.
In the wider context of Chicago sports, few executives have accomplished anything close to what Krause did.
The Chicago Cubs broke a 108-year drought in 2016 under Theo Epstein, and the Blackhawks saw a resurgence in the 2010s under Stan Bowman, but neither matched the sustained dominance of the Bulls in the ‘90s.
