Stan Van Gundy remembers late wife, and reveals the the cause of her death
His wife, Stan Van Gundy for 35 years passed away on Aug. 16 when she died of a cause deemed to have been “unexpected.” Van Gundy said on the “South Beach Sessions” podcast that Kim was 61 and died by suicide. Field Level Media
May 25, 2024, 02:21 PM ET
The wife of Stan Van Gundy for 35 years passed away on Aug. 16th, at the time of her death, the causes of death were deemed to be “unexpected.”
In the week leading up to the month to contemplate Kim Van Gundy’s demise The Former NBA coach, as well as the current TV analyst shared more details about the reasons behind her death.
Van Gundy told longtime friend and sports talk show host Dan Le Batard, on Dan Le Batard’s “South Beach Sessions” podcast Van Gundy revealed to Dan Le Batard that Kim died at the age of 61 by suicide.
“She took her own life, Dan,” Van Gundy declared. “I can’t imagine that I’ll ever get over that. … It was devastating.”
Van Gundy discussed at length the woman he entered into dating when he was just 24 years old and the lives they created over three years of marriage.
“My entire adult life, I trace everything — job changes, kids, everything — I was with her, and she was by my side. I never, ever envisioned that I was going to live any day in my life without Kim,” said Van Gundy, who added his wife was admitted to a hospital with an illness of the mind.
“I believed she would be going through a difficult moment, but I didn’t think of it taking place. It’s been eight months since the incident, and I’m still struggling to accept my realization that I’m not seeing the girl again. I’m trying to remain in touch. … I have a home is filled with photos that depict Kim. It’s even a collection of images on my bed which my children created for me. They are all pictures of Kim. I’m working hard to recall her voice, recall her smile and all those things. More than anything be true to her values as her values were superior to mine.
“She taught me a lot. And I want to live her values and a life that she would be proud of. And my kids at times over the last eight months, at times, not often, but I think genuinely from their point, I’ll do something and they’ll say, ‘Mom would have really been proud of you for that one.’ And that above anything else really makes me feel good, because my wife was an incredible person, and the loss is huge.”
Kim Van Gundy met her partner in 1984, shortly after his appointment as Head Basketball Coach in Castleton State College in her hometown of Vermont. She was still a student at the time.
She moved with him from one basketball town to the next, primarily in towns that were college towns, and then the time he got the first NBA post as an assistant for the Miami Heat in 1995. In 2003, the coach was made head, and was in charge for two seasons prior to landing as the head coach in Orlando, Detroit and New Orleans.
Van Gundy, 64, is currently employed by TNT in the TNT broadcast team in TNT’s coverage of the Western Conference finals.
He told the podcast that he’s been in therapy, but his life has changed without Kim. The four children of the couple can help him stay together, but it’s not easy.
“I just don’t think I’ll ever get over it,” Van Gundy said.
