Stacey King, a three-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls during their early 1990s dynasty alongside Michael Jordan, has died at 59, the team announced Sunday. His death, confirmed by a family member, was disclosed without a stated cause. King’s passing closes a chapter that spanned three decades with the franchise, first as a player and later as a broadcaster who became a beloved voice for generations of fans.

Selected sixth overall in the 1989 draft out of Oklahoma, King joined a Bulls side on the cusp of greatness. Over the next three seasons, he contributed to championship runs in 1991, 1992, and 1993 as a 6-foot-11 forward/centre, providing front-court depth behind legends like Jordan and Scottie Pippen. His playing career, which also included stints with Minnesota, Boston, Miami, and Dallas, saw him average 6.4 points per game across 438 contests, according to Russian media reports that highlighted his journeyman years after the Bulls’ three-peat.

In a statement, Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf mourned King as “a cherished member of the Bulls family” and “one of the truly unique personalities in our organisation’s history.” Across the Atlantic, coverage diverged: US and UK outlets emphasised his luminous post-playing career as a television analyst, noting an Emmy Award for his broadcasting work. Russian media, by contrast, focused on granular career metrics and his birth in Lawton, Oklahoma, in 1967, reflecting a more statistical lens on his sporting legacy.

King’s transition from the court to the commentary booth cemented his place in Chicago’s sporting fabric. His ability to narrate the game with humour and candour made him an unmistakable voice for the Bulls, bridging the dynasty era to the present. As the franchise and fans absorb the loss, King’s death underscores the fading connection to the Jordan championship years. Viewed from London or Sydney, his story resonates as that of a role player who crafted a second act worthy of an Emmy, a testament to reinvention in professional sport.