The late Jerry Krause, the architect of the Bulls' dynasty, passed away in 2017 and wasn't interviewed for "The Last Dance." He has been portrayed as a villain in the documentary in large part because of his decision to part ways with coach Phil Jackson after the 1997-'98 season -- even if the Bulls went 82-0, as he said before that campaign even began.
Krause didn't get to defend his actions, which is something that "The Last Dance" director Jason Hehir wishes he could've included, he told the Dan Bernstein Show on 670 The Score on Monday.
"I'd love to know how he would articulate the perception of him is in the public," Hehir said. "What he thinks people think of him, and why that is correct -- or probably why that is incorrect, how he's been cast as the villain in this. I would want to know from him what regrets he has and what he would stand by, from what he did and how he acted in the '90s, the decisions that he made.
"He will never get enough credit. It's a shame that he only got it when he's no longer here. When somebody wants credit that much and it's so transparent, people are reluctant to give it to them. You're not supposed to openly say, 'I did this.' But he's no longer with us, and I think his family and his friends should be immensely proud of his accomplishments.
"Michael was there when he got there. Every other piece, he put that into place. They are quite simply not there without Jerry. I firmly believe that. Michael was clearly the straw who stirred the drink. He's the alpha and the omega in the Bulls' universe. But without Jerry's expertise, we're not having this conversation."
Krause was posthumously inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017, just months after his passing. Filming for "The Last Dance" interviews began after Krause had died.
While the documentary covers Jordan's entire career and how the Bulls were built into a dynasty, the title of "The Last Dance" refers specifically to the name Jackson gave to the 1997-'98 season, knowing Krause was set on it being Jackson's final one in Chicago.
"I wish we could've sat down with him, because I had so many questions for him," Hehir said. "The main one would be: Why? Why do this? Why go to Phil Jackson before a season and say, 'You could go 82-0 and you're still not coming back.'? Why drop that hammer on the first day of training camp? Why would you enter a season with casting that pall over your team? What was it that you were so passionate about that made you say that, that you would want to blow this thing up that you built?
"It would've been fascinating, because Jerry's a smart guy and I'm sure he would've had a lot of answers for me."