Stacey king dies at 59
Stacey King, a three-time champion of the NBA who was well-known as an announcer for television, has died at only 59 years of age. In a statement from the Chicago Bulls issued on Sunday, King’s passing has been acknowledged through countless heartfelt tributes given by former teammates, sportswriters, fellow broadcast members, and even fans from across the nation. Although there is no information available regarding the reason for King’s untimely passing, one cannot deny that the legacy King has left in the world of basketball is much deeper than his time on the court. From helping win his teams’ three first NBA championships in the nineties to becoming one of the most recognized members in Chicago’s television commentary, King was surely a great part of basketball history.
The sudden announcement of King’s death shocked everybody due to how easily he made the transition from player to analyst.
Paying Tributes After Announcement
As soon as news about the death of King reached the basketball world through the release of a press release by the Bulls, fans, ex-players, sport personalities, and associations took their time to express their feelings regarding the demise of the legendary NBA player, known for his humor, honesty, and love for basketball.
One of the most prominent tributes was paid in the city of King himself at Wrigley Field. There, a message honoring King’s memory was shown on the scoreboard at Wrigley Field as a sign of how much he remained connected to the sporting public in the area even after leaving the court for good.
Fans also gathered outside of the United Center, home venue of the Chicago Bulls. Some of the visitors left behind floral arrangements with hand-written messages that included some of King’s most famous phrases from his broadcasting career.
Many of those who were supporters admitted that they were surprised and disappointed after learning the news. There were also those who commented on the role played by King in making games of the Bulls interesting to watch even when the team was not doing well on the court.
The Voice Who Was a Part of the Game Itself
While King was a successful player of NBA, it is important to note that many basketball fans learned about him because he was a broadcaster for many years.
For almost two decades, King was an announcer for games of Chicago Bulls. He was known for his enthusiasm, great understanding of basketball, and unique personality. As a broadcaster, he managed to become extremely popular among fans of this sport.
The ability to blend entertainment with his basketball knowledge made him unique from other sports broadcasters. People loved the fact that despite his passion towards the Bulls team, King could provide an honest analysis without being biased.
Kendall Gill, who used to play for Chicago Bulls and later became friends with King during their broadcasts, recognized him as a professional broadcaster with high integrity levels. According to Gill, King had great respect both within the Bulls team and media personnel for always providing an honest analysis without blaming anyone for their poor performance on the field.
Family Emotions in Tribute
King’s family too had their share of emotional tributes to King post his death.
Four sons survive King, who remember King not just as a public personality but also as a caring father.
Brandon King, one of King’s sons, issued a touching tribute to his father where he said that King was not only a retired professional basketball player and a television actor but also a hero, supporter, role model, and mentor for Brandon.
A look at King’s personal life outside the spotlight was captured in this tribute where Brandon mentioned that while many know King as a star on the basketball court, his family knows him as a loving and caring father who was always there for his children.
The personal emotions from King’s family were significant as King touched a lot of lives personally despite the fame in the world of professional basketball.
Early Life and Childhood
Stacey King was born on January 29, 1967, in Lawton, Oklahoma.
Right from childhood, King has shown excellent athleticism. He grew up playing basketball and turned out to be one of the most gifted basketball players in the whole state of Oklahoma.
While attending Lawton High School, King showed incredible talent as an athlete due to his height, skills, and dedication to the game. Upon his graduation, he drew the attention of many of the top universities that offer college basketball.
Being a 6-foot-11-inch basketball player, Stacey King had the height needed to play at the highest level. However, the player’s hard work and knowledge of the game impressed coaches as well.
All his efforts led to an excellent performance in college basketball.
Dominating College Basketball at Oklahoma
King decided to play basketball for the University of Oklahoma.
While being a member of the Oklahoma Sooners team, King became one of the most talented college players who managed to make the First-Team All-American list. It means that he competed with some of the most talented college basketball players in the US.
One of the highlights of King’s basketball career occurred during the 1987-88 season when King helped the Oklahoma team make it to the final of the NCAA Championships.
Oklahoma State achieved great success in the tournament, which gained a lot of national recognition. Nevertheless, their championship dreams were thwarted because they lost to Kansas in the championship game.
Nonetheless, King’s stellar performance during the season greatly improved his chances of being selected in the NBA draft due to his impressive size, offensive and defensive skills, and leadership qualities.
As a result, by the end of his college career, King had managed to cement his reputation as one of Oklahoma’s most illustrious basketball stars ever.
Entering the NBA
King’s excellent performance at Oklahoma brought him great success as the Chicago Bulls selected him in the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft.
The organization picked the player with the sixth overall pick, showing great belief in King’s abilities.
The Chicago Bulls at the time were working on developing a team around their main star Michael Jordan, in order to make them a championship caliber team.
King became part of an eventual dynasty that went on to win multiple titles during his years in the league.
Even though King was not one of the key contributors to the Bulls’ successes, he still made a significant contribution as a role player.
King’s entry into the NBA signaled a major change in his life, which resulted in winning a championship.
Winning Three NBA Championships
King had several important contributions to his playing career, which occurred during the early 1990s.
Among them, he played for the Chicago Bulls, who managed to win three consecutive NBA championships in the following seasons:
- 1990-91
- 1991-92
- 1992-93
These teams included such famous names as Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, John Paxson, Bill Cartwright, and B.J. Armstrong.
With their help, Chicago Bulls managed to become one of the leading franchises in the league.
In particular, the team managed to win its first championship in 1990-91 season, which became a turning point. After winning it, Chicago turned into a major power in the basketball world and even managed to achieve six championships within the decade.
Despite being an important but unsung addition to the team, King helped to create the winning culture among the members.
Participation in three straight title-winning teams became one of the best King’s achievements.
King’s Humorous Basketball Story
Another anecdote about King illustrates his sense of humor.
During one game, Jordan ended up scoring 69 points and King – only one point.
Later on, when recalling the occasion, King used the famous quote, “Let me tell you about the game I got 70 points with Michael Jordan,” making fun of his own performance and adding to the list of the quotes that characterize the future announcer.
Fans loved his attitude of being self-deprecating while paying a tribute to the feats of others.
King’s Further NBA Career
Following the third consecutive NBA title, King joined other basketball clubs to continue his professional career.
In 1994, the Bulls traded King to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for their center Luc Longley.
Prior to leaving the Bulls, King’s NBA statistics were about 6.6 points and 3.3 rebounds on average.
King’s career continued with the Miami Heat, and then he also briefly played for Boston and Dallas.
The last club in the long-lasting career of John King was the latter one.
While King was not a superstar with unbelievable stats like many others, he definitely won the respect of NBA players with the help of the trophies he had earned.
Transition into Coaching
After retiring from playing, King continued to pursue a career in basketball.
In 2001, he served as the head coach of the Rockford Lightning of the Continental Basketball Association.
This opportunity provided King with the chance to impart his wisdom to younger players aspiring to become professionals.
Even though he worked as a coach for only a few years, it was another sign of King’s passion for basketball.
Nevertheless, what came next was a much more rewarding transition.
Entering Broadcasting: Becoming the Voice of the Bulls
In 2006, King made his debut in sports broadcasting.
He joined Comcast SportsNet Chicago, now known as NBC Sports Chicago, as an analyst of the Bulls.
This was an ideal move for King because of his expertise in basketball and natural charm and sense of humor.
For almost two decades, he has been entertaining and informing viewers by analyzing games for the Chicago Bulls.
Fans of the team loved him because of his trademark expressions that he used in his commentary.
King also went on to work as a broadcaster for the Chicago Sports Network while keeping up his close bond with the Bulls’ fan base.
Indeed, many people regarded King as one of the most exciting sports analysts in professional basketball.
Statements by Bulls Management
Chairman and owner of the Chicago Bulls, Jerry Reinsdorf, issued a statement commemorating the life of King.
In the statement, Reinsdorf referred to King as a beloved member of the Bulls family whose association with the team spanned more than thirty years.
Furthermore, Reinsdorf added that King was not only a great basketball player but a broadcaster who had the capacity to reach several generations of fans.
Likewise, Michael McCarthy, the president, and CEO of Chicago Sports Network, paid homage to the contributions made by King to the world of basketball and broadcasting.
McCarthy appreciated King’s passion, honesty, sense of humor, and overall personality as a person who brought people together through broadcast programs.
The Legacy of Stacey King
The legacy of Stacey King can be determined not only through his statistical performance.
King made invaluable contribution to the Chicago Bulls by helping the team win its first three NBA championships.
As an announcer, King became a well-respected and popular man whose commentaries have been enjoyed by millions of viewers.
Thus, his life serves as an example of how retired athletes can effectively change their identity and continue being successful.
King will always remain a symbol of passion, loyalty, humor, and honesty for many people who love Chicago sports.
His legacy will remain important for the Chicago Bulls franchise and the entire city for many years to come.
Despite the tragedy caused by King’s death, his success and unique character will be remembered by many generations to come.
References
CBS News. “Stacey King, who played on the first three NBA Champion Chicago Bulls teams with Michael Jordan in the 1990s, has died.” CBS News, June 2026.
