Stacey King, a three-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls and a longtime broadcaster for the team, has died at the age of 59. The Bulls announced his passing on Sunday and said the family had notified them. King was found at his home in River Forest, Illinois, though no cause of death has been released.

King’s basketball career began in Lawton, Oklahoma, where he starred in high school before playing for the University of Oklahoma under coach Billy Tubbs from 1985 to 1989. He notably helped lead the Sooners to the 1988 NCAA championship game, finishing the season as a first-team All-American and Big Eight Player of the Year. King averaged 26 points and 2.3 blocks per game in his senior year and was honored by Oklahoma with a retired jersey and induction into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.

The Chicago Bulls selected King with the sixth overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft. He played five seasons with the Bulls, contributing to the franchise’s first championship three-peat from 1991 to 1993, alongside stars Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. King’s NBA career spanned eight seasons, including stops with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and Dallas Mavericks. Over 438 games, he averaged 6.4 points and 3.3 rebounds.

Following his playing career, King briefly coached in the Continental Basketball Association before transitioning to broadcasting. He began his television analyst role with the Bulls in 2006 and became a permanent color commentator the following year. Over the next two decades, King became an Emmy-winning broadcaster and a fan favorite known for his enthusiastic style and memorable catchphrases such as “Gimme the hot sauce,” “Let me step back and kiss myself,” and “Drive home safely, Chicago! Beep, beep!”

Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and team president Michael Reinsdorf both expressed deep condolences, highlighting King’s impact on the organization and its fans. “Stacey King was a cherished member of the Bulls family and one of the truly unique personalities in our organization’s history,” Jerry Reinsdorf said. Michael Reinsdorf added that King had a unique gift for connecting generations of fans and making every game feel personal.

Chicago Sports Network president Michael McCarthy also paid tribute, calling King “one of the most beloved figures in Chicago sports” and praising his ability to bring insight, humor, and energy to broadcasts.

The Bulls have announced plans to honor King throughout the next season, with further details forthcoming. Fans and colleagues alike remember him as a passionate player, a joyful broadcaster, and a person who genuinely cared about his community and the game of basketball.