The cause of death of Stacey King, the late Chicago Bulls star who died in June, has been revealed.
A Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office spokesperson confirmed on Friday, Aug. 7 to USA TODAY Sports that King died June 7 of hypertensive cardiovascular disease, which is a complication of long-term high blood pressure. Obesity was also cited as a contributing factor.
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King died in his home in River Forest, Illinois. He was 59.
After his death, tributes poured in from all corners of the basketball world.
In the Chicago neighborhood of Logan Square, which is northwest of downtown, a mural was painted to honor him.
The mural depicts a close-up of King’s face against a black background. To his right, a silhouette of the Bulls logo wears a crown, in homage to King’s last name.
One of King’s broadcast catchphrases – “Too big, too strong, too fast, too good” – is captioned to the left of the mural.
King played eight seasons in the NBA from 1989-97, five of which came with the Bulls. The sixth pick out of Oklahoma in the 1989 draft, King was a 6-foot-11 big man who won three NBA championships alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in his first five seasons in Chicago.
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He later played stints with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics.
The Chicago Sky honor Chicago Bulls legend Stacey King who passed away before the game against the Atlanta Dream at Wintrust Arena on June 9, 2026, in Chicago.
King averaged 6.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists across his 438 career games.
After his playing career ended, he joined the team’s broadcast crew in 2006 and became its color commentator. He was the voice that a generation of Bulls fans grew up hearing, even the reason some tuned in at all during a lot of lean years.
“Stacey King was a cherished member of the Bulls family and one of the truly unique personalities in our organization’s history,” Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said June 7 in a statement. “His connection to Chicago, the Bulls and our fans spanned more than three decades – first as a player and later as the unmistakable voice that helped bring Bulls basketball into the homes of generations of fans.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stacey King’s cause of death revealed as tributes to Bulls icon continue
