Stacey King Cause of Death: What We Know About the Bulls Icon

The Chicago Bulls arena has gone quiet in a way no game ever could. Stacey King, the booming voice behind countless highlight calls, the fan favorite who turned mundane regular-season moments into memories, died unexpectedly at 59. For anyone who has watched a Bulls game in the past two decades, this one hits hard.

What Happened to Stacey King

The Chicago Bulls officially announced King's passing on Sunday, June 7, 2026, after a family member notified the organization. The announcement was sparse on details, which only deepened the shock for fans who had no warning.

According to ABC7 Chicago, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that King was found dead at his home in River Forest, Illinois. Officials said a head autopsy was required to determine the cause of death. At the time of the announcement, the official cause had not been confirmed by any medical authority.

ESPN Chicago's David Kaplan was among the first reporters to share additional context, stating that King died after a fall at his home. That detail spread quickly across sports media. However, it's important to be clear: the medical examiner had not released a final ruling, and whether the fall directly caused King's death or whether an underlying medical event may have preceded it remains officially undetermined. Secondary reporting from Heavy noted that additional testing was ordered, delaying a formal cause-of-death ruling further.

In short: King died unexpectedly at his River Forest home. Reports point to a fall. The official cause is still pending, with additional testing ordered before a final determination can be made.

The Man Behind the Microphone

For most Bulls fans under 40, Stacey King is first and foremost a voice. That distinctive energy, the way he'd absolutely lose his mind on a big dunk or a clutch shot, made him one of the most entertaining broadcasters in the NBA. He joined the Bulls broadcast team in 2006 as the color analyst, working alongside play-by-play partner Neil Funk until Funk's retirement after the 2019–20 season. Adam Amin then took over play-by-play duties beginning with the 2020–21 season, and King continued as color analyst alongside Amin through 2026 making his total run with the Bulls broadcast booth nearly two decades. King became as much a part of the Bulls experience as the United Center itself.

But before the headset, there was the hardwood.

King was selected sixth overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 1989 NBA Draft, an enormous 6-foot-11, 250-pound center out of the University of Oklahoma. He played five seasons with the Bulls, carving out a role on one of the greatest dynasties in basketball history. When the Bulls won back-to-back-to-back championships in 1991, 1992 and 1993, King was part of those championship locker rooms, celebrating titles alongside Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant.

He wasn't the star. Per NBA.com's official career data, King averaged 6.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game across his eight-year NBA career. During his five Bulls seasons specifically, the Associated Press notes he averaged 6.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. He was a reliable reserve on a team that needed its stars to shine, and that supporting role is something he seemed to embrace fully.

After leaving Chicago, King's NBA journey continued through Minnesota, Miami, Boston and Dallas before he stepped away from playing in 1997.

Career Snapshot

Sources: NBA.com (draft, height, career averages) Associated Press/Chicago Bulls (championships, teams) Bulls/NBA.com (broadcasting career)

From Oklahoma to Chicago: A Legacy Rooted in Two Places

King built his basketball foundation at the University of Oklahoma, where he became one of the program's most celebrated players. The Sooners honored him formally on January 19, 2008, with his No. 33 jersey now hanging in the rafters of the Lloyd Noble Center. OU Athletics released a tribute on the day of King's death, mourning a player who gave the program a moment of lasting pride.

His Oklahoma roots and his Chicago legacy are inseparable. He was a Sooner who became a Bull, and then became the Bulls' biggest advocate from the broadcast booth. That arc, from prospect to champion to voice of a franchise, is genuinely rare.

The Tributes That Followed

The reaction was immediate. Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf called King a cherished member of the Bulls family. Bulls president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf said King had a gift for connecting people and that he loved being a Bull in every chapter of his life.

Then came the statement that underscored just how meaningful King's time on those championship teams really was. NBC Chicago reported that Michael Jordan said he was deeply saddened and remembered their special years together as teammates.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the tributes kept pouring in through the days following his death, with players, coaches, broadcasters and fans all sharing their connection to King. He was one of those rare figures who managed to be beloved in completely different roles across three separate decades.

People reported that King is survived by his wife, Debi King, and their four sons: Erick, Garrett, Brandon and Mason.

What's Still Unknown

This is the part that matters for anyone searching for a definitive answer: the official cause of Stacey King's death has not been confirmed by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office as of the most recent reliable reporting available. Reports of a fall at his home circulated widely, attributed to David Kaplan of ESPN Chicago, and ABC7 confirmed that a head autopsy was ordered. But that is not the same as an official ruling.

Until the medical examiner releases a formal determination, "fall at his home" is reported circumstance, not confirmed cause. The distinction is worth making clearly, especially in a situation where headlines have sometimes moved faster than facts.

When an official determination is released, it will come from the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office directly.

More Than a Voice

What Stacey King built over nearly 40 years in and around the game of basketball was something genuinely hard to replicate. He arrived as a lottery pick on a team about to change history. He won three championships as a young man. Then, after his playing career ended, he found a second identity that may have connected him to more people than his playing days ever did.

Those broadcast calls, the enthusiasm, the humor, the way he made a 20-point Bulls loss somehow still feel watchable, that was a craft. It was work, even if it never looked like it.

Chicago lost a champion on June 7. They also lost the person who reminded them every night why they still cared about watching.