The Chicago Bulls have officially unveiled a season-long tribute to honor the life and enduring legacy of Stacey King. The 3x NBA champion who anchored the frontcourt of the Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen-led Bulls through the first three-peat, and the long-time broadcaster with legendary shoutouts, passed away in June at the age of 59. The Bulls announced that throughout the 2026–27 NBA season, all players will participate in commemorating the legend, and the team will give fans a chance to participate, too.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
The Chicago Bulls players will wear a commemorative band on the upper-left side of their jerseys. The black strip will feature ‘King,’ his surname, accompanied by a stylized microphone icon, a direct nod to his two decades spent as the signature television voice of the franchise.
In addition to the season-wide jersey patch, the Bulls will host a dedicated “Stacey King Celebration Night” on February 4, 2027, when the team hosts the Oklahoma City Thunder at the United Center. The midwinter date carries special significance, falling just six days after what would have been King’s 60th birthday on January 29. It also connects to his Oklahoma roots.
Further details regarding special guest appearances, game-night giveaways, and in-arena programming for the celebration will be disclosed closer to the event. So don’t hold your breath on Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, or more Bulls legends showing up just yet.
King passed away unexpectedly on June 7, 2026, at his home in River Forest, Illinois. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office subsequently confirmed that his death was caused by hypertensive cardiovascular disease related to long-term high blood pressure, with obesity contributing.
His passing triggered a widespread outpouring of grief across the basketball community, uniting generations of fans who knew him as both a championship frontcourt player and a broadcast icon.
Honoring an Oklahoma legend and Bulls Dynasty anchor
The choice of opponent for the February celebration night provides a poignant bridge connecting the major eras of King’s basketball journey.
Before joining the Bulls, the 6’11 Lawton, Oklahoma, native starred for the University of Oklahoma Sooners under head coach Billy Tubbs from 1985 to 1989.
King anchored the 1988 Sooners squad that reached the NCAA national championship game, earned Consensus First-Team All-American honors in 1989, and remains sixth on Oklahoma’s all-time scoring list with 2,008 points.
The Chicago Bulls selected King with the No. 6 overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft, joining a rising squad poised to win their first championship led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
As an essential rotational frontcourt piece during the franchise’s first threepeat, King provided size, rebounding, and interior defense off the bench to help secure consecutive NBA titles in 1991, 1992, and 1993.
After five seasons in Chicago, King spent time with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and Dallas Mavericks before concluding his playing career in 1999.
Following a short tenure in minor league coaching, King transitioned to sports broadcasting, returning to the Bulls’ broadcast team full-time prior to the 2006–07 season.
Over the next 18 years, King established himself as one of the most vibrant and beloved local sports commentators, earning a 2013 Regional Sports Emmy Award.
Partnering with play-by-play announcers Neil Funk and, later, Adam Amin, King became famous for his high-energy delivery and an array of signature catchphrases during the Derrick Rose era and beyond.
His shouting “Gimme the hot sauce!” after key three-pointers and exclaiming “Too big, too strong, too fast, too good!” during D-Rose’s highlight plays became an inseparable part of his brand.
“Stacey 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 in an official 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.”
King was also one of the most vocal Bulls players when it came to the feud between MJ and Pippen. He famously invited Pippen onto his show, where Pippen criticized Jordan as a terrible teammate. However, following King’s death, former teammates such as Horace Grant have been urging both Jordan and Pippen to put their feud behind them.
With the 2026–27 season approaching, the jersey patch and a special tribute on February 4 will keep King’s legacy at the heart of the United Center experience all season long.