The city of Chicago is mourning a huge loss on Sunday.

Stacey King, the former Chicago Bulls forward who won three championships alongside Michael Jordan in the ’90s and later became the beloved color commentator for the team for nearly 20 years, has passed away at age 59. The news was announced by the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that the Chicago Bulls announce that Stacey King passed away on Sunday at the age of 59. Stacey was a deeply beloved member of the Bulls family whose connection to this organization and city of Chicago spanned more than three decades,” the team said in a statement.

Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf added a statement.

“Stacey King was a cherished member of the Bulls family and one of the truly unique personalities in our organization’s history. 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. We will miss him deeply and remember the joy, energy, humor, candor and passion he brought to our organization, our broadcasts and our fans every day. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”

King initially joined Chicago Bulls television broadcasts in 2006 as an analyst for pre- and post-game shows. Later that season, he began filling in as a game commentator before being permanently added to the booth in 2007. For most of his broadcast career, King called games next to Neil Funk before Funk was replaced by Adam Amin in 2020.

King was highly regarded by fans for his memorable and energetic calls, penchant for nicknames, and ability to meet the moment during broadcasts. The duo of Amin and King regularly ranked among the best in Awful Announcing’s reader polls, most recently slotting in as the third-best local broadcast team in the NBA.

A close follower of the league, King was posting about the ongoing NBA Finals as recently as Game 2 on Friday.

Many within the Chicago and NBA communities are mourning the death of King on social media.

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