Jerry Krause won, he just didn't win people over.
That's the only explanation for the chasm between his accomplishments and his accolades. Krause, who died Tuesday at age 77, was the general manager who surrounded Michael Jordan with the proper pieces to win six championships for the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. His resume ranks right up there with the front-office work of Red Auerbach (the archetype) and Jerry West (the logo), yet you never hear Krause mentioned among the all-time great executives. You also won't find him enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, which is as unfair an exclusion as any in Springfield, Massachusetts.