Stan Van Gundy’s wife of 35 years died of suicide, former NBA coach reveals nine months after ‘devastating’ tragedy: ‘I knew she was going through a tough time’
Stand Van Gundy revealed that his late wife, Kim, died by suicide almost a year after her unexpected death on August 16.
Stan, 64, and Kim were married for 35 years before she passed away at the age of 61.
On Friday, the NBA coach turned TV analyst reflected on his wife’s death on the South Beach Sessions podcast with host Dan Le Batard. He then revealed that Kim had committed suicide and described the lead-up to her death.
“She killed herself, Dan,” Van Gundy said. ‘I can’t imagine ever getting over that. It was devastating.”
“My whole adult life I’ve been following everything – job changes, kids, everything – I was with her and she was by my side. I never thought I would live a day in my life without Kim,” said Van Gundy, who added that his wife had been diagnosed with a mental illness.
Stan Van Gundy revealed that his wife Kim committed suicide nine months after her death
Kim Van Gundy died ‘unexpectedly’ in August 2023 at the age of 61
Their relationship started when Stan was 24. During their long marriage they had four children.
The couple met in 1984, while Kim was still a college student, when Stan was hired as the head basketball coach at Castleton State College in her native Vermont.
Kim followed Stan from one college town to another until he got his first NBA job as an assistant for the Miami Heat in 1995. He was promoted to head coach in 2003 and spent more than two seasons in Miami before moving to Orlando. , Detroit and New Orleans.
“I knew she was going through a hard time, but I still never thought this would happen,” Van Gundy continued. ‘Even now, it’s been eight months, I’m struggling to come to grips with the fact that I’ll never see her again. I’m doing my best to stay connected.’
‘My house is full of photos of Kim. There is a montage of photos above my bed that my children took for me of Kim. I try my best to remember her voice, to remember her smile – all those things. But most of all, live her values, because her values were better than mine.
Van Gundy reflected on his late wife’s death on the South Beach Sessions podcast
Van Gundy revealed that Kim was diagnosed with a mental illness before her death
Stan and Kim met in Vermont in 1984 and had four children during their 35 years of marriage
Stan coached the Heat, Magic, Pistons and Pelicans before transitioning to broadcasting
Additionally, Stan reflected on their relationship and what he had learned from having Kim by his side for decades. He also acknowledged how helpful their children have been during the grieving process.
‘She taught me a lot. And I want to live her values and live a life she would be proud of. And my kids over the last eight months sometimes, sometimes not often, but I honestly think from their point of view, I’ll do something and they’ll say, ‘My mom would have been really proud of you for that.’ And that especially makes me feel good, because my wife was an incredible person and the loss is enormous.”
Van Gundy currently works for TNT and is part of the broadcast for the Western Conference Finals. While sharing that he is in therapy, he revealed that the struggle to lose his can be a lifelong process.
“I just don’t think I’ll ever get over it.”