Trae Young pays tribute to fellow Oklahoma basketball legend Stacey King

Trae Young is not just a five-star recruit who chose to play for the University Of Oklahoma. He attended Norman North High School and therefore knew what it meant to the community to have a successful hoops team. Sooners sports have long been defined by football, but Oklahoma basketball is also a source of great pride for residents and alumni. Young and anyone else who stepped into Lloyd Noble Center, either as a competitor or fan, is well aware of the impact that No. 33 had on the program.

It was announced on Sunday that Sooners legend and Lawton native Stacey King had died at the age of 59. Locals are reeling after losing one of their own, and in this time of mourning and shock, they are paying respect to the legacy he leaves behind. Young offered a nice tribute to the three-time NBA champion and longtime Chicago Bulls broadcaster on Sunday evening.

“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 X. “My deepest condolences to the Family! Stacey King will never be forgotten.”

Young dazzled fans and earned consensus All-American honors during the 2017-18 season, nearly 30 years after King did the same. He learned how perilous the road to glory truly is following an overtime Round of 64 loss to Rhode Island in the NCAA Tournament, but before that campaign ended, the man they call Ice Trae was regularly reminded of what he and his teammates are striving toward.

What Stacey King helped give Oklahoma basketball 

When one looks into the rafters, they will witness the standard of Oklahoma basketball. A banner commemorating the best season in Sooners history serves as an eternal reminder of King’s massive contributions to his Alma mater. King led the team to the national championship game during the 1987-88 campaign, doing his best to boost the school to heights it had never experienced before. Kansas pulled off the upset, but no other Oklahoma team has come closer to cutting down the nets.

King’s accomplishments extend beyond one sensational run, however. He ranks sixth on the all-time Sooners list with 2,008 points and is second in blocks (228). He never got to celebrate an Oklahoma national title, but if and when that day comes, people should remember those who helped lay down the foundation in Norman. And Stacey King is certainly one of those individuals.

That fact is obviously not lost on Trae Young.

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