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Reports have emerged that disgruntled Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers referred to the team's general manager Brian Gutekunst as Jerry Krause in the players' group chat. Krause was the general manager of the Chicago Bulls from 1985 to 2003.
Reports also suggest that Rodgers went as far as telling free agents not to come to Green Bay because he won't be with the team in 2021.
But why did Aaron Rodgers compare the two general managers?
Who is Jerry Krause and how did he dismantle the Chicago Bulls' dynasty?
Jerry Krause was the man running the show behind the scenes for the Chicago Bulls during their dynasty in the 1990s. Krause built the Bulls' title-winning team but at times used his power to his advantage. Mark Vancil, the president of Rare Air Media, had this to say about Krause:
"Jerry had the little man problem. He grew up a little fat kid. He was always the uderdog, and he couldn't control the part of him that needed credit."
The Netflix documentary "The Last Dance" showed the ins and outs of the Chicago Bulls franchise during the 90s. It showed how strained the relationship was between Jerry Krause and the team's stars, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
Jordan and Pippen were responsible for the success on the court but head coach Phil Jackson kept the team together. The trio had won five championships together, but before the 1997-98 season, Jerry Krause and Phil Jackson started to disagree on the direction that the team was heading in.
Jackson joined Jordan and Pippen in criticizing Jerry Krause. Before the 1997-1998 NBA season, Jerry Krause informed Phil Jackson that it would be his last season as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls.
Krause's decision caused a ton of drama in the Bulls' locker room. Michael Jordan said he would not play for any coach apart from Phil Jackson. Scottie Pippen was also due a new contract but Jerry Krause refused to offer the star a fair deal.
The Chicago Bulls went on to win their sixth and final NBA championship at the end of the 1997-1998 season. After the season, the Chicago Bulls parted ways with Phil Jackson while Michael Jordan decided to retire. Scottie Pippen was also traded to the Houston Rockets,
Once their core was dismantled in the 1998 offseason, the Bulls struggled to replicate their success in the years that followed. After five mediocre seasons since their 1998 triumph, Krause left the Bulls in 2003.
While he built a team that won six titles, Krause is only remembered for being an egomaniac who ended perhaps the greatest dynasty in NBA history.
Where do Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers go from here?
The next step for the Green Bay Packers is to sit down with Rodgers and discuss their future together. If the quarterback decides to stay firm on his decision to leave, then the Packers need to start taking phone calls and seek the best possible offer for their star.
By not trading the quarterback, the Packers run the risk of him retiring and leaving them in limbo.
