Jerry Krause 

The architect of the great Bulls championship runs of the 1990s, Jerry Krause was a respected, if not always appreciated, front office executive in the National Basketball Association. Armed with a legendary work ethic born from his years working as a scout for professional baseball and basketball, Krause’s real genius was revealed when Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf hired the Chicago native as his new general manager. Krause immediately set out to find the right pieces to surround franchise player Michael Jordan. He relied on instinct more than numbers, and his hiring of Phil Jackson as an assistant and later as head coach keyed Chicago’s rise to the top. Soon Krause was drafting fresh talent and signing free agents like Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Horace Grant, and Toni Kukoc. With all the pieces in place, the Bulls won six championships in eight years.