Michael Jordan 'deeply saddened' by death of former teammate Stacey King: 'We shared some special years together'

Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan was "deeply saddened" to learn about the death of his former teammate Stacey King. In a statement Monday, Jordan paid tribute to King, who died at 59 over the weekend, the Bulls announced Sunday.

Jordan's full statement read:

"I'm deeply saddened to learn of Stacey's passing. We shared some special years together as teammates, and he was part of a group that helped define an era of Chicago Bulls basketball. My thoughts are with Stacey's family, friends and everyone whose lives he touched."

King joined the Bulls just as the team was on the precipice of greatness. Jordan had already established himself as one of the game's premier superstars, but was still searching for his first NBA championship.

Enter King, who the team selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft. King was mostly used as a reserve player as a rookie, though he wound up leading the team in rebounds.

King remained in a reserve role the next three seasons, where he helped the Bulls with three straight championships. King averaged nearly eight minutes per game in the playoffs in both the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons. He saw his playing time and scoring increase in the playoffs during the 1992-93 season, averaging 12.1 minutes and 4.1 points per game.

During the 1993-94 NBA season, King was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Luc Longley and a draft pick. Because of that, King was not a member of the Bulls' second three-peat, with Longley essentially taking King's place.

Following his NBA career, King eventually joined the Bulls as a team broadcaster. He became a beloved figure in Chicago for his enthusiasm and catchphrases while calling games.

Since Jordan's retirement from basketball, he's made sporadic appearances with the Bulls. One of those came back in 2011, when the team celebrated the 20th anniversary of its 1991 championship. Both Jordan and King were in attendance for the celebration.