Every sport has an ugly side to it, and basketball is no exception. Much like the heat that is occasionally seen on the court between players, things can turn obnoxious when passionate fans start to participate in matters dealing with their favorite stars. An unfortunate incident happened on Friday when the deceased Chicago Bulls’ general manager Jerry Krause’s widow was booed by fans. Thelma had gone on stage during a halftime ceremony that honored her husband but was met with disparaging behavior from fans.

The incident was so dreadful for Thelma that she began crying on stage and hence the Bulls fans drew flak from experts and basketball legends who didn’t want to endorse such behavior. NBA journalist Stephen A. Smith also chipped in with his views that helped the audiences see the complete story from a different perspective.

What did Stephen A. Smith say?

Amid such fiery reactions, journalist Stephen A. Smith gave his two cents on the matter on Wednesday during ESPN’s ‘First Take’ with Chris Russo. Smith was quick to point out the irrational behavior of the angry fans and frankly expressed his disappointment with the incident. He however rationalized their behavior to some extent and extended his support to the former Chicago Bulls’ star Steve Kerr.

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“First of all it was appalling that the crowd booed Jerry Krause especially since now he’s deceased. His wife, his widow was there. That was… that was… I don’t blame Steve Kerr for saying what he said about those Chicago fans one bit. They were wrong and they were inexcusable. However, what happened everybody needs to understand this about Jerry Krause – going into the last year Jerry Krause said this is it I don’t give a damn what y’all do. You’re done. I want it over. So it’s not about you know how he treated Jordan or Pippen or anything like that. It’s about to the city of Chicago. Phil Jackson departed, Michael Jordan retired, because Krause had said no matter what you accomplished this is it… That’s what Chicago hasn’t let go off because they’ve never enjoyed the success since and they attribute the years of misery they’ve incurred outside of an injury to Derrick Rose to Jerry Krause,” Smith said. 

Notably, Krause and Michael Jordan didn’t share a very amiable relationship. The Bulls general manager saw Jordan as just another player. He traded Jordan’s friend Charles Oakley that further created a rift between the two. Jordan took further steps to badmouth Krause in the press and among his teammates. The divide grew so thick that Krause even thought of trading the legend in 1989 as a part of a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Ever since, Jordan’s fans have developed a feeling of animosity for Krause. More so, after the release of the documentary series “The Last Dance” which was based on the Chicago Bulls. Some critics also opine that though “The Last Dance” had valuable pieces of information about the inside of the Bulls campaign.

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It did not feature the time when Jordan’s supporting players Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant had a 55-win season in the New York City-born’s absence. Perhaps, it isn’t correct to have a say in who was right or wrong, albeit it’s time to forget the bygone era. More so when former Bulls’ stars like Kerr have also made peace with whatever had transpired.

What did Kerr say?

Kerr who is now a coach with the Golden State Warriors had also condemned the crowd for their vile behavior and tagged it as “absolutely shameful” as per The Guardian. Kerr’s name was among the list of honorees but he couldn’t attend since he was with the Warriors in the locker room. He went as far as stating that the fans who commit the indecent act “should be ashamed.”

With the legends and critics enumerating their views on the incident, perhaps now fans can give it a rest and move on with the current Bulls team. Hopefully they can move past whatever transpired in that period and whole-heartedly remember it for being the best for their team.

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