Remembering when Stacey King coached the Rockford Lightning
· Yahoo Sports
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — Chicago Bulls fans were saddened Sunday to learn the news of the passing of Bulls broadcaster and former Bulls player Stacey King. He died at the age of 59. A cause of death has not been provided.
King played for the Bulls during their three championship seasons from 1991-93. He was part of the broadcast team for Bulls games for more than two decades right up through this past season.
What many people may not know is that King spent two years in Rockford coaching the former Rockford Lightning of the old Continental Basketball Association (CBA). He was hired by the Lightning as an assistant coach for the 2000-01 season as an assistant coach, but when then head coach Bob Salmi resigned 15 games into the season, King was promoted to head coach.
King returned as head coach of the Lightning for the 2001-02 season. That year the Lightning won the CBA’s American Conference and advanced to the CBA Finals. That year, the Finals were a one-game winner-take-all contest, and it was played in Rockford.
That was one of the biggest games in Rockford Lightning history. A crowd of 7,201 attended that game at the MetroCentre (now the BMO Centre). Unfortunately, the Lighting lost to the Dakota Wizards 116-109.
King had a successful run as the Lightning’s head coach, and he appeared to have a promising coaching career ahead of him, but he eventually settled into his role as a broadcaster finding his niche there. That decision worked out very well for King.
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