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The life of Jerry Krause should provide a lesson for all of us.

As a general manager, the man is a legend. Yes, he inherited Michael Jordan when he was given charge of a young Chicago Bulls team in the late 1980s. But he surrounded Jordan with the best team in the NBA, and that team went out and won six championships.

Scottie Pippen? Bill Cartwright? Toni Kukoc? Dennis Rodman? Jerry Krause was behind all of the moves that brought those players to Chicago. He not only put the Bulls together, but he gave them the staying power that created a dynasty that nobody in the NBA has come close to duplicating since.

Krause died this past week, leaving behind a legacy of one of the league's best-ever executives. But he was also one of the most complicated men in NBA history, and frankly, wasn't always been well-liked.

And there lies the lesson. It isn't always enough to be great at what you do — which Krause clearly was. It matters how you do it, how you treat people who hold no value to you, how humane you are in executing your daily duties.

It's sad that Krause didn't receive the credit he deserves in life that we've seen in the days since his death. Yes, he was twice named the NBA's Executive of the Year. And he has a banner bearing his name hanging from the rafters at the United Center.

But Krause, because of his gruff nature and hardball negotiating tactics, doesn't get the love and adoration that others of his stature get. And when it comes to scouting talent, he's simply one of the greats.

"He drafted me to the NBA," former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "He doesn't get the credit he deserves, and that's the sad part about it. He was the only scout to come to my house. That said a lot about him. He put together good teams everywhere he went. And he knew his baseball."

It can be argued that Krause was as instrumental to the Bulls' success as Jordan was.

Why? Check his record.

He hired Phil Jackson to succeed Doug Collins, and Jackson went on to become one of the best coaches in NBA history.

He discovered Pippen, who became one of the best wingmen in NBA history. He drafted Horace Grant, who became a terrific rebounder and defender.

He traded Charles Oakley — Jordan's best friend — for Cartwright, who became the first in a long line of underrated centers to thrive in Tex Winter's triangle offense. That trade was controversial, because Jordan strongly opposed it. But it proved to be the right move.

Krause brought Toni Kukoc over from Croatia, making him one of the first international stars in NBA history. Even with Jordan and Pippen riding him mercilessly — Pippen once refused to enter a playoff game when a key play was called for Kukoc and not him — Kukoc became one of the best sixth men in the league, and offered the Bulls a reliable third scorer.

Krause traded for Dennis Rodman, then the best rebounder in NBA, and that move proved instrumental in Chicago's second three-peat.

Those Bulls teams were dominant and symmetric in the way they played. If the chemistry wasn't always there off the floor, it was always there between the lines. Jordan was naturally the headliner, but he had plenty of help through the years. They were so strong around Jordan that even when His Airness retired for two years, the Bulls were good enough to make the Eastern Conference Finals without him.

"He was someone who knew talent and had an eye for great players," Sloan said.

Krause wasn't perfect, but nobody is. Sure, he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way over the years. But his legacy with the Bulls and the NBA in general, not to mention his role with the Chicago White Sox, shouldn't suffer for it.

So here's to one of the best executives to ever do it.

Rest In Peace. —

Tribune Power Rankings

1. Golden State Warriors • Kevin Durant is shooting and dunking before games. He's not far from returning from knee injury.

2. San Antonio Spurs • Still have a game left with the Warriors, but top seed in the Western Conference seems to be slipping away.

3. Houston Rockets • Averaging 115 points per game. But will that hold up in the playoffs, when the game gets slower?

4. Boston Celtics • Have overtaken Cleveland in power rankings, and are not far from doing same in Eastern Conference standings.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers • One of the worst defensive teams in the league since the all-star break. That's concerning.

6. Utah Jazz • Rudy Gobert scoring 35 points on 13-of-14 shooting, with every field goal being a dunk or layup is unheard of in NBA.

7. Washington Wizards • Really nice comeback win over the Atlanta Hawks. Brad Beal is coming into his own.

8. Los Angeles Clippers • Coming down to the wire between Clippers and the Jazz in the battle for fourth in the west.

9. Toronto Raptors • Serge Ibaka suspended a game for throwing punches at Chicago's Robin Lopez.

10. Oklahoma City Thunder • Russell Westbrook with the perfect triple-double against the Sixers.

11. Memphis Grizzlies • Vince Carter is still throwing down windmill dunks in warmups. At age 40. Who said life was fair?

12. Atlanta Hawks • Paul Millsap says he wants to stay in Atlanta, but will still opt out of contract and test the market.

13. Milwaukee Bucks • Getting into the playoffs with this group would be a tremendous accomplishment.

14. Denver Nuggets • Huge win over the defending champion Cavs. Nikola Jokic is a star.

15. Indiana Pacers • Paul George hit two huge shots over Gordon Hayward in Monday's win over the Jazz.

16. Miami Heat • From 11-30 to on the brink of the playoffs. Erik Spoelstra is at head of the coach-of-the-year line.

17. Portland Trail Blazers • A playoff spot is in play. They have a head-to-head with Denver remaining, and an easier schedule down stretch.

18. Chicago Bulls • Didn't know Robin Lopez had that kind of aggression in him. He too served a game after the Ibaka fracas.

19. Detroit Pistons • Stan Van Gundy appears to have run out of answers with this team.

20. Dallas Mavericks • May be out of the playoff race, but Mark Cuban is still a quote machine. His latest gem? Anyone can rest against the Mavericks and be OK.

21. New Orleans Pelicans • Are playing good basketball suddenly with Cousins and Davis. May be too late, but at least the baseline is there.

22. Charlotte Hornets • Will Charlotte lose head assistant Patrick Ewing to Georgetown? It's a possibility.

23. Minnesota Timberwolves • Have clinched a 12th consecutive losing season, but be patient Wolves fans — wins are coming.

24. New York Knicks • Lost Derrick Rose in the middle of the week to a sore foot. That could be a good thing, giving rookie Ron Baker more time.

25. Sacramento Kings • Four straight losses. The bottom is falling out.

26. Philadelphia 76ers • Dario Saric is your likely rookie of the year.

27. Orlando Magic • Had been playing better before loss to the Hornets.

28. Phoenix Suns • Marquese Chriss is averaging 13.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in March. He has a load of potential.

29. Brooklyn Nets • They now own their first winning streak of the season. That deserves a power ranking promotion.

30. Los Angeles Lakers • They are clearly tanking. They have to get a top 3 draft pick, or their selection goes to the Sixers.