Ronald Stacey King (born January 29, 1967) is an American sports announcer and former National Basketball Association (NBA) center who won three consecutive championships with the Chicago Bulls from 1991 to 1993 while playing next to Michael Jordan. King is the color commentator for Chicago Bulls television broadcasts.
NBA career (1989–1999)
After a stand-out career at the University of Oklahoma, King was selected by the Bulls in the 1989 NBA draft with the sixth pick. He was projected by many as a number one pick candidate heading into draft night,[1] but slipped. He was one of three first-round picks by the Bulls in that draft (the other two were B. J. Armstrong and Jeff Sanders).[2] He played four and a half seasons in Chicago before being traded during the 1993–94 campaign to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for 7'2" Australian-born center Luc Longley.[3] He was last active in the NBA during the 1996–97 season while playing a handful of games for both the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics.[4]
Post-NBA career
Coaching (2001–2003)
King was named the head coach of the CBA's Rockford Lightning in 2001. The team reached the CBA championship game in 2002 with King as coach.[5]
TV commentary (2006–present)
King began his career with CSN Chicago as a studio analyst for pre- and post-game shows for the Chicago Bulls. He filled in as a third commentator during the 2006 playoffs joining Johnny "Red" Kerr and Tom Dore. He was permanently added during the 2007 season. In 2008, Tom Dore was replaced by Neil Funk and Kerr's duties were significantly reduced, leading King to become the lead color commentator for the Bulls alongside Neil Funk. King is currently working as a color commentator for Chicago Bulls television broadcasts on NBC Sports Chicago, paired since 2020 with Adam Amin.[6][7]
King's popularity as an announcer has grown thanks to his great enthusiasm as well as his signature catch-phrases and nicknames.[8] King has received a lot of attention in particular for his calls of highlight plays by Derrick Rose when he was with the Bulls.[9]
References
- ^ Goldaper, Sam (1989-06-25). "PRO BASKETBALL; The Top Choice? Take Your Pick". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
- ^ 1989 NBA Draft Archived 2010-03-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Chicago Bulls all-time transactions
- ^ NBA.com profile
- ^ Merkin, Scott (31 January 2001). "Unlikely Leader". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Calling the shots
- ^ Comcast SportsNet crew Archived 2009-04-15 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Stacey King broadcasting clips
- ^ Greenberg, Jon (March 3, 2011). "Calling the shots". ESPN. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
Rose has become King's muse, and King said he feels like the point guard's "big brother" when he calls games. When Rose dunked on the Suns' Goran Dragic in January 2010, King's voice was the thing we remembered.
