ESPN Chicago’s David Kaplan first reported, and the Chicago Bulls organization confirmed, on the afternoon of June 7, 2026, that Stacey King had died at age 59 as a result of a fall at his home in River Forest, Illinois, bringing an abrupt end to the life of a man who won three NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen and then became one of the franchise’s most beloved broadcasters. The official cause of death is pending an autopsy.

The heartbreaking news sent shockwaves through a fanbase that had embraced King in two distinct eras — first as a player during the dynasty years, then as the energetic voice on television broadcasts who made even rebuilding seasons feel meaningful.

Ronald Stacey King was born on January 29, 1967, in Lawton, Oklahoma, and grew into a six-foot-11, 230-pound left-handed big man known by the nicknames “Sky” and “Pearl.” After playing at Lawton High School and the University of Oklahoma, he was selected sixth overall by Chicago in the 1989 NBA Draft, joining a class that would help propel the Bulls to dominance.

From Rookie to Three-Time Champion

King appeared in all 82 games during his debut season after making his first NBA appearance on November 3, 1989. He earned All-Rookie honors while averaging 8.9 points, establishing himself as a contributor even as Phil Jackson’s rotation tightened around the team’s superstars.

He collected championship rings in 1991, 1992 and 1993 as a steady presence in the paint during Chicago’s first three-peat. King’s statistical high point with the Bulls came in 1991-92, when he averaged 7.0 points across 79 games during the title run. He followed with 76 appearances the next season as the Bulls claimed their third consecutive championship.

King played 344 games across five years in Chicago — the majority of a career that would span 438 regular-season appearances. His Chicago tenure ended during the 1993-94 season after 31 games, when he was dealt to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Career Stops Across the League

King’s role briefly expanded in Minnesota, where he averaged 11.8 points — the highest mark of his career — across 18 games that season while playing nearly 29 minutes a night. He remained with the Timberwolves through 1994-95, logging 50 games at 5.3 points per contest.

The Miami Heat became his next stop for the 1995-96 season, where he appeared in 15 games. King closed out his playing days in 1996-97, split between the Boston Celtics, where he played five games, and the Dallas Mavericks, where he played six.

Across eight NBA seasons, King shot 47.8% from the field and 70.7% from the line while averaging 6.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists, according to career totals. But the three championship rings and his place in the locker rooms during one of the great runs in American team sports meant far more than the statistics.

A Second Act Behind the Microphone

King’s transition into broadcasting brought him a second wave of fame that arguably exceeded his first. He became a fixture on Bulls television telecasts, where his booming voice, theatrical calls and habit of giving players nicknames made him appointment viewing — particularly during the lean rebuilding years when his enthusiasm often outshone the action on the court.

For fans too young to have witnessed the Jordan era firsthand, King was the Bulls — a bridge between the championship banners and the present, between memory and reality. His energy carried him into a new generation’s consciousness.

An official noted that King had been on three Bulls championship teams in the 1990s and then transitioned to broadcasting, where he served as an energetic commentator on local Bulls telecasts, often bestowing nicknames on players over the years, according to a statement.

Remembering a Chicago Icon

Within hours of the announcement, tributes flooded social platforms as former teammates, broadcast colleagues and fans shared memories of King’s calls, his laugh and the way he elevated routine regular-season games. The Bulls organization had not announced funeral arrangements shortly after the news broke.

King is remembered as a beloved longtime television broadcaster and one of the rare athletes whose second career deepened, rather than replaced, the affection earned in the first.