Overview
- A Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office spokesperson said the cause of King’s death was hypertensive cardiovascular disease and that obesity was a contributing factor.
- The office released the finding after additional testing that delayed a formal cause, resolving earlier uncertainty about the circumstances of his death.
- King was a member of the Chicago Bulls’ early 1990s championship teams and later spent nearly two decades as the team’s color commentator, making him a familiar voice for generations of fans.
- Public tributes followed his death, including statements from former teammates and a mural in Chicago’s Logan Square honoring his career and personality.
- The medical finding notes that hypertensive cardiovascular disease is a complication of long‑term high blood pressure, a detail that may prompt renewed attention to cardiovascular health for former athletes and the public.