Review Fix chats with Jerry Krause and His Chicago Bulls: The Scout Who Built the Dynasty of the 1990s author Lukasz Muniowski on his process for the book and more.
About the Author:
Lukasz Muniowski (Ph.D., American literature, University of Warsaw) has written numerous academic articles on various topics, including gentrification, geek culture, American literature, video games and television series. He lives in Poland.
About the Book:
From March 26, 1985, until April 4, 2003, Jerry Krause was responsible for shaping the Chicago Bulls’ roster as vice president of basketball operations. He called the shots and yet, even after six championships, could never shake off the status of the underdog. He conducted 37 trades to win the first championship for the Bulls, was constantly evaluating talent and throughout his tenure remained who he was at heart—a scout. Krause’s fate was closely tied to his surroundings, the people he employed and the ones he ignored for certain positions.
This book examines Jerry Krause as a basketball scout and executive. Rather than redirecting hate, casting blame or clearing anybody’s name, it shows the other side of the Bulls dynasty— with a sharp focus on roster construction—and the interactions between the team, the staff and the front office. This is a story about making hard decisions and learning how to live with them.
Review Fix: What’s inspired this book?
Lukasz Muniowski: I always felt that Jerry Krause didn’t get the respect he deserved for constructing the roster around Michael Jordan, but when “The Last Dance” came out, the narrative was so one-sided and disrespectful, that it motivated me to finally get on with writing the book.
Review Fix: What was the writing process like?
Muniowski: It was super hard but also super fun. Getting people to speak about Krause was hard, as not many were willing to. Notice that no former players share their stories in the book. Only one player responded to my request about the interview and he eventually decided against it, despite initial interest. Getting ignored is always hard. But once some people started talking, it allowed me to paint Krause as an actual person. When Al Vermeil shared with me the Bulls’ workout videos and I was able to see how he transformed the bodies of some players or when Karen Stack Umlauf told me stories about Krause’s habit of eating ribs when preparing for the draft or him showing genuine care for the members of the front office, that was so awesome. That’s not the picture of Krause that we basketball fans got to see in the media.
Review Fix: Away from the championships- what makes those Bulls teams unique?
Muniowski: The fact that they were built to perfectly utilize the talents of their core player. Jordan was the sun, but how do you build a whole (solar) system around that special player to year after year challenge for the championship title? When I think about those Bulls teams, I always think about guys like Jud Buechler or Dickey Simpkins or Scott Burrell who let go of their egos in order to play on a championship-winning team.
Review Fix: What made this journey a special one for you?
Muniowski: I’d have to say the best part was when I got to speak with Krause’s wife, Thelma. She was so open and transparent and trusting when sharing stories about her late husband… And she seemed really appreciative of the fact that somebody was willing to listen to her story. More people should, because she has a very unique perspective.
I was also moved by the help of one person, Lee Lowenfish, who was one of the last people to interview Krause and he shared his interview notes with me, a guy from Poland, without even knowing me. How cool is that? The generosity of some people was what actually allowed me to make this book stand out and am deeply thankful for that.
Review Fix: Who do you think will enjoy this book the most?
Muniowski: Sports fans in general I hope. I was trying to focus on relationships, negotiations and decisions more than on describing the events on the court in order to make it palatable for non-basketball fans too.
Review Fix: What else can you say about this book to entice readers?
Muniowski: That the book is actually a love story. Krause was a flawed, imperfect human being who got to do what he loved and that love was stronger than the public ridicule and scrutiny that he had to endure. Fans in Chicago can boo all they want during public occasions, they can claim that anyone could build a winning team around Michael Jordan, but also Krause did and nobody can ever take that away from him.
Review Fix: What’s next for you?
Muniowski: Hopefully next year McFarland will publish my book on the Caitlin Clark effect on women’s basketball. The focus of the book is on other players and coaches, as the goal is to go beyond the player and see the effects of the persona that the media created.
Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?
Muniowski: Not really.
Review Fix: Where can people go to find out more about you?
Muniowski: I don’t think they need to, because I’m just a vessel for these stories. They can check out my YouTube channel, where I interview women’s basketball players. These interviews are posted on Swish Appeal too, where I write about the sport.
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