Trae Young posted condolences after it was announced that Stacey King, a Lawton native and longtime Chicago Bulls broadcaster, died at 59. Young tied the loss to the legacy King built at Oklahoma, where King led the Sooners to the national championship game in
Trae Young didn’t wait to respond when the news broke.
On Sunday, the basketball community learned Sooners legend and Lawton native Stacey King had died at the age of 59. The announcement landed like a shock in Norman and beyond. with fans and alumni grappling with the sudden loss of one of their own. That same evening. Young—who played for the University of Oklahoma after attending Norman North High School—took to X to offer his tribute.
“Being in the gym today that Stacey King helped build… then hearing the news,” the former Atlanta Hawks cornerstone and current Washington Wizards point guard posted on Sunday evening. “My deepest condolences to the Family! Stacey King will never be forgotten.”
Young’s words carried weight because Oklahoma basketball, in his telling, isn’t a side story. The Sooners have long been defined by football. but basketball remains a point of pride for residents and alumni—and Lloyd Noble Center is a place where the impact of No. 33 is still felt by anyone who has stepped in as a competitor or a fan.
King helped define that standard. A banner in the rafters commemorates the best season in Sooners history. a visible reminder of the contributions he made to the program. In the 1987-88 campaign, Stacey King led Oklahoma to the national championship game. Kansas pulled off the upset. denying the Sooners the title. but no other Oklahoma team has come closer to cutting down the nets.
His accomplishments didn’t stop with that run. Stacey King ranks sixth on the all-time Sooners list with 2,008 points, and he is second in blocks with 228. He never got to celebrate an Oklahoma national title—but for people who still carry pride from those years. the foundation he laid in Norman endures.
Young’s tribute also echoes the road King helped pave. even as Oklahoma’s most recent seasons have shown just how perilous that road to glory can be. In the 2017-18 season. Young earned consensus All-American honors. only to learn how quickly dreams can be tested after an overtime Round of 64 loss to Rhode Island in the NCAA Tournament.
That is where King’s legacy meets Young’s current moment: both are rooted in the same arena of belief and pressure. One Oklahoma banner remembers a championship run that fell just short in 1987-88. One post from X. placed after hearing of King’s death at 59. connects that legacy directly to the present—especially for a player who knows what the community expects when the lights come on at Lloyd Noble Center.
Trae Young Stacey King Oklahoma Sooners Lloyd Noble Center Norman North Chicago Bulls broadcaster 1987-88 national championship game Kansas upset Washington Wizards Atlanta Hawks NCAA Tournament Rhode Island
Rip Stacey King 🙏
Wait he was a Bulls broadcaster? I thought Stacey King was like, the OKC coach or something lol. Either way that’s sad, 59 is way too young.
Trae Young played at OU right? So I get why he’d say condolences. But didn’t OU win a title recently or am I mixing up years? Also the banner in the rafters thing feels like they’re gonna use it to sell tickets or whatever.
This is heartbreaking. I remember hearing Stacey King’s name forever, like he was just part of Oklahoma basketball culture. The article says he helped build the gym and that OU is more than football but… I swear Oklahoma always acts like football is the only thing that matters. Still, 1987-88 to now, same place, same pressure, and then Kansas screwed them (as usual). Condolences to his family.