Former NBA coach turned analyst Stan Van Gundy suffered a notable loss last year when his wife sadly passed away. It’s been nine months since that tragic moment and the former Magic and Heat coach finally opened up on this traumatic situation.
Talking with Dan Le Batard on the “South Beach Sessions” podcast, Stan Van Gundy said that his wife Kim, died by suicide.
“She took her own life, Dan,” Van Gundy said, via ABC. “I’ll never … I don’t care how long it goes, I can’t imagine that I’ll ever get over that … it was devastating. We’d been married for 35 years, and had been together for close to 40 years — since I was 24 years old. … My entire adult life, I trace everything, job changes, kids, everything, I was with her and she was by my side.”
•
Van Gundy notes how shocking it’s been to live a life without his wife and how he’s coping with her absence.
“I never, ever, envisioned that I was gonna live any day in my life without Kim. Never envisioned that. I knew she was going through a tough time, but I still never envisioned that happening. Even now, it’s been eight months, and I struggle to come to grips with the fact that I’m never gonna see her again. I’m trying hard to stay connected. I don’t want to — my house is full of pictures of Kim.”
Stan Van Gundy admits he feels he failed at giving her a ‘great life,’ revealing that he keeps going thanks to his four kids. He also feels he will likely never get over her loss.
How many years were Stan Van Gundy and his wife together?
Kim met Stan Van Gundy in 1984 when the coach was in charge of the Castleton State College team and she was a student. As Van Gundy said, they were together for 40 years and this loss was very painful for the family.
Her obituary summed up how important she was for her loved ones and the impact that her passing had on all the people who met her.
“Kimberly’s kindness and love for all around her was shown through her charitable works and activism. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando or Crossroad’s Corral in Kim’s memory,” the obituary read.
The past nine months haven’t been easy for Van Gundy, but he’s kept himself busy, working as an analyst of college basketball for CBS. He is also currently working for TNT, covering the NBA Western Conference finals.
