Yesterday, in a shocking event, longtime Chicago Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Jerry Krause resigned.

Krause, 64, who played a major role in building six Bulls World Championship teams and is a two-time NBA Executive of the Year said: ?The rigors and stress of the job have caused me some minor physical problems in the past few years. Those problems can be eliminated if I lessen my load for a while and concentrate on overcoming them. My first obligation is to accomplish that for my wife, children and grandchildren."

?It is only fair to the players and staff that Jerry Reinsdorf be able to select my successor as soon as possible prior to the draft just as he did with me on March 26, 1985.

?I take great pride in what we?ve accomplished here. The staff, players and coaches will always be a bright spot in my heart."

Now, throughout his tenure with the Bulls, most people didn't have a favorable opinion about Krause but that's probably because they didn't know him as a person like his head coach and some current players. To them, Krause was like a father figure.

From K.C. Johnson's column in the Chicago Tribune:

"For me personally, I can't measure how much effect Jerry has had in my life," head coach Bill Cartwright said.

"He brought me to Chicago when he traded for me. He hired me as an assistant coach. He was the guy who really helped find a voice doctor for my throat [fractured larynx]. And then he hired me as head coach. This is a tough day."

His players also loved him.

"It's a real sad day for me because he brought me in here and had dreams for me," Tyson Chandler said. "And to think he won't be here when we turn the corner is tough.

"Jerry is a really warm person. He doesn't show it to a lot of people. But the few people who get to know him and understand him are going to miss him."

Jamal Crawford added on to the great thoughts.

"He's a caring and compassionate person. If he believed in you, he would never lose faith in you. He'd take his loyalty for you to the grave."

So, what is next for Jerry Krause?

One of Johnson's sources said that Krause told him he expected to be back in the league within a year. Another said he turned down a offer from Jerry Reinsdorf to remain with the team as a consultant.

In the end, no matter how you look at it, an era has come to an end in the city of Chicago.