The wait is over. Jerry Krause is Hall of Fame bound.
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is poised to make official on Saturday that the general manager during the Bulls' dynasty will be part of the Class of 2017 from the contributor category, according to two sources familiar with the process. The news comes just more than a week after Krause died March 21 at age 77.
Krause joins Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Phil Jackson, Tex Winter and Jerry Reinsdorf from the dynasty-era Bulls in receiving basketball's highest honor. The induction ceremony will take place in September in Springfield, Mass.
Krause worked in baseball and basketball for more than five decades, but he gained his greatest recognition for building the pieces around Jordan to fuel the Bulls' dynasty that produced six championships in eight seasons.
"My reaction was it should have been Krause," Reinsdorf told the Tribune last year when the Bulls chairman learned he had been selected for enshrinement.
Krause hired Jackson out of obscurity from the Continental Basketball Association to serve on Doug Collins' staff. Krause also eventually replaced Collins, who had a successful run despite Krause hiring him with no coaching experience, with Jackson.
As one of his first moves after Reinsdorf hired him in 1985, Krause signed assistant coach Winter, whose triangle offense the Bulls employed to great success. Krause also hired the late Johnny Bach to serve as the defensive coordinator of the first three-peat.
Krause landed both Pippen and Horace Grant in the 1987 NBA draft, solidifying two starters for the Bulls first three-peat. Against Jordan's wishes, he traded Charles Oakley to the Knicks for Bill Cartwright, who became the starting center for the first three-peat.
Krause drafted Toni Kukoc, a critical player in the second three-peat, in the second round. And he traded for the controversial Dennis Rodman to land another cornerstone for the dynasty to continue on the other side of Jordan's first retirement.
Krause also hired current general manager Gar Forman as a scout.
Before coming to the Bulls, Krause is credited for being instrumental in the drafting of Hall of Famers Earl Monroe, Wes Unseld and Jerry Sloan. He also worked for the Baltimore Bullets, Suns and Lakers.
Krause, who drew the nickname "The Sleuth" for his secretive ways, always called himself a scout at heart and took great pride in representing his hometown franchise. Before his death, he talked consistently about what the Hall of Fame honor would mean not only for his family but all the scouts crisscrossing the country, often to little recognition.
Krause eventually became the face of the Bulls' franchise. And he never looked the part of the dashing sports executive. But he prided himself on his work ethic and unfailing devotion to Reinsdorf and the Bulls.
Krause twice earned the respect of his peers when he was named Executive of the Year for the 1987-88 and 1995-96 seasons. And the Bulls raised a banner to the United Center rafters to honor his contributions on Oct. 31, 2003.
Now, posthumously, will come the sport's highest honor.
