Chicago sports teams are paying tribute to late Bulls broadcaster and former NBAer STACEY KING following his passing on Sunday. In Chicago, Poe & Kenny noted the Cubs “held a moment of silence for King” during Sunday night’s home game against the Giants. The Sky also “honored King during the broadcast” of Sunday’s game against the Tempo, allowing broadcaster LISA BYINGTON a “moment to reflect on her experience calling her first NBA games alongside King.” The Bulls “plan to honor King as an organization during the 2026-27 season.” Officials said that it “could take weeks to confirm” King’s cause of death. He was scheduled to undergo a head autopsy Monday morning (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/8).
FOUND HIS CALLING: A CHICAGO TRIBUNE editorial states after a “solid if unremarkable professional basketball career,” King “found his calling as the voice of the Bulls for 18 years.” He “attained a status bestowed on only a few in this town,” including late Cubs announcers HARRY CARAY and RON SANTO and Pro Football HOFer MIKE DITKA. King’s “exuberant personality made even the disappointing Bulls teams of recent vintage worth watching.” King was the “rare sports analyst who could make a subpar affair entertaining viewing.” The editorial states, “We just assumed we would have many more years of Stacey King. His loss stings” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/9).
FOR THE FANS: THE ATHLETIC’s Jon Greenberg wrote King “brought people into the game.” He “hammed it up with his partners,” NEIL FUNK and ADAM AMIN. He “took pictures with fans, and he tried to make them leave with a smile, regardless of the score” (THE ATHLETIC, 6/8). In Chicago, Jeff Agrest wrote King was an “excellent analyst.” He would “quickly see what teams were doing and explain the intricacies to viewers.” He would “be critical of the Bulls, though some fans wanted him to go harder.” King “respected the fans, too.” He would “stay after games and tell the security guards to let anyone who wanted an autograph or a picture down to the floor” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/7).