Stan Van Gundy recently opened up about his wife’s tragic death on the South Beach Sessions podcast.
Kim, who passed away in August 2023 at age 61, had been with Stan for 35 years. “She took her own life,” Stan told Dan Le Batard. “I don’t care how long it goes. I can’t imagine that I’ll ever get over that. It was devastating.”
Impact of Kim’s Death:
Stan last coached the Pelicans in 2021 and shared how deeply Kim influenced his life, supporting him throughout most of his adult years.
This is why suicide is such a selfish thing…. you leave a lot of loved ones behind. Thoughts and prayers to Stan Van Gundy. #NBA
— Dave Thomas (@newstouse)
Stan expressed disbelief at living without Kim: “I never envisioned that I was going to live another day in my life without Kim.” Even after eight months, he struggles with the reality of never seeing her again.
Coping with Grief:
Despite regular therapy sessions, Stan finds it hard to accept her mental illness and passing. He said, “I was blessed with an unbelievable woman and a great family… my primary responsibility was to take care of those five people.”
He admitted feeling like he failed: “My wife reached a point where her life wasn’t worth living anymore… And my responsibility was to take care of her and give her a great life, and I failed in that.”
The Early Days:
The couple met 40 years ago at Castletown State College when she was a student and he was the head basketball coach there. “Her values were better than mine,” Stan recalled fondly.
We all have moments where we feel overwhelmed by grief.
During their talk, both Dan Le Batard and Stan discussed how grief affects everyone differently but profoundly impacts those left behind.
The Lingering Guilt:
Stan talked about feeling guilty despite knowing intellectually it’s not his fault: “When I wake up in the morning and go to bed at night… it feels like I let her down.”
Here’s the YouTube link for more on their conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZykQdeUZYg
Dan shared his own loss experience with his brother’s death: “I didn’t quite realize there was no other relationship like the one with my brother.”
