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DEERFIELD, Ill. - Jerry Krause had a rare eye for talent, assembling two very different supporting casts for Michael Jordan and laying the foundation for the Bulls' decade of dominance.
But it is the destruction of the championship team that will be Krause's legacy.
The man blamed for breaking up the Bulls dynasty and driving Jordan out of Chicago resigned as general manager Monday, stepping down for health reasons with a week left in the season.
Chicago (27-50) will finish with a losing record for the fifth straight season and miss the playoffs again. The Bulls have won three road games this season.
Krause, 64, did not elaborate on his health problems. "The rigors and stress of the job have caused me some minor physical problems in the past few years," he said in statement. "Those problems can be eliminated if I lessen my load for a while and concentrate on overcoming them."
The Bulls had Jordan when Krause became GM in 1985, but it was Krause who found the pieces that formed a dynasty. In one of the best deals in league history, he maneuvered with Seattle for the draft rights to Scottie Pippen, who became Jordan's sidekick and was selected as one of the league's 50 greatest players in 1996.
Chicago won six titles from 1991-98 and set a league record with 72 victories in the 1995-96 season. Krause was named executive of the year twice.
But Krause's people skills weren't always the best, and he alienated coach Phil Jackson, Jordan and Pippen - often over who should get credit for the championships. When Jackson left and Jordan retired before the lockout-shortened 1999 season, Krause dismantled the team.
Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said he hoped to have a new GM within the next month.
Worthy, Parrish lead Hall of Fame classRobert Parish and James Worthy played against each other during the fierce Celtics-Lakers rivalry of the 1980s and were among the 50 greatest players in league history. Now they are teammates, elected together to the Hall of Fame.
"I'm still floating, trying to grasp the impact," Parish said. "When I'm inducted, I'll think of all my teammates."
Also chosen were Meadowlark Lemon of the Harlem Globetrotters, NBA pioneer Earl Lloyd, longtime Louisiana Tech women's coach Leon Barmore, Italian player Dino Meneghin and the late Chick Hearn, who broadcast 3,338 consecutive Laker games.
They will be inducted in September in Springfield, Mass.
Parish holds the league record for seasons (21) and games (1,611). Teamed with Hall of Famers Larry Bird and Kelvin McHale, Parish gave Boston a formidable frontcourt and the Celtics won titles in 1981, 1984 and 1986. A nine-time All-Star, he holds the league record for defensive rebounds (10,117).
Worthy helped the Lakers to championships in 1985, 1987 and 1988 and was MVP of the 1988 title series.
CLIPPERS: Center Michael Olowokandi, sidelined since left knee surgery in February, won't return this season.
GRIZZLIES: Center Lorenzen Wright will miss the final five games of the season with a severely sprained right thumb.
PISTONS: Ben Wallace could miss the start of the playoffs, which begin April 19, with a sprained ligament in his left knee. Wallace, who leads the league in rebounding and blocked shots, likely will be sidelined two weeks.
RAPTORS: Vince Carter (ankle) and Antonio Davis (groin, knee) will miss the rest of the season, leaving Toronto without its best players for the final six games.
ROCKETS: Forward Eddie Griffin was arrested and charged with marijuana possession after police stopped him for speeding Sunday night in Houston. He posted $500 bond and was released. He was cited for a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $4,000 fine and one year in jail.
TRAIL BLAZERS: Forward Ruben Patterson has a broken left eye socket, a result of being punched by teammate Zach Randolph last week. Patterson is not expected to join the Blazers during their three-game road trip.