The Chicago Bulls lost more than a broadcaster Sunday. They lost a voice that carried a franchise through some of it’s toughest moments according to several among Chicago sports media who remembered the life of Stacey King Monday.
What We Know: Stacey King, a three-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls who later became a fan-favorite on their broadcast team, died Sunday at 59. The Bulls announced his passing Sunday afternoon. King was found dead at his home in River Forest, Illinois. He arrived as the sixth overall pick in the 1989 draft and earned championship rings in 1991, 1992, and 1993 alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
What They Said: ESPN Chicago’s Jonathan Hood: “The Chicago Bulls are going through a tough time, obviously, on the floor. But Stacy King, I think, in a lot of ways, was the face of the franchise as a broadcaster. Even though he wasn’t playing, there’s a reason to watch. The reason why is because he was teamed with Adam Amin, and they had a great broadcast during the bad times of the Bulls, The low times. He was teaching the game.”
104.3 The Score’s David Haugh: “In Chicago we don’t have the Hollywood celebrities, it’s not LA. We don’t have the celebrities in New York. These sports broadcasters become part of our lives, the fabric of sports fandom. They’re in our living rooms with Steve Stone and Hawk [Harrelson]. You watch these games, and you endure these seasons. Stacey King made you happier. He made you smarter, and he made you want more. That’s why it’s so shocking and sudden and sad. Because now he’s gone. When you hear joy with which he lived, it was a good lesson for all of us, and it’s just sad to have to deal with this.”
ESPN Chicago David Kaplan: “That guy entertained me. There’s so many cookie cutter broadcasters out there who are vanilla and afraid to give an opinion and be personable and come up with catch phrases. That dude embodied Chicago Bulls basketball. He was here for the great times. He’s a multi-time champion, and then became just larger than life. I loved seeing him, interacting with him, and when I would have him on different shows. He was awesome, man. He was absolutely awesome, and he will be so sorely missed.”
104.3 The Score’s Mike Mulligan: “The way that he did it on a night to night basis, when you were watching the team. There was a lot of good insight, there was a lot of basketball understanding. He would tell you things that made a lot of sense, but he also delivered it in such a fashion that you just got a kick out of it. That is the thing that he had that is irreplaceable. Just his outlook on the world and his way of delivering information.”
What Remains Unclear: A head autopsy will be done to determine the official cause of death. Though multiple reports indicate King fell at his home. No timeline for autopsy results.
What It Means: King was more than a broadcaster. In addition, he was a cultural thread running through decades of Bulls basketball. His transition from world champion to commentator gave Chicago fans a familiar, trusted voice for nearly 20 years.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
