Stan Van Gundy remembers late wife, reveals cause of death - ESPN

Stan Van Gundy's wife of 35 years died Aug. 16, at which time her cause of death was said to be «unexpected.»

On Friday, with months to reflect on Kim Van Gundy's passing, the former NBA coach and current television analyst revealed more about the circumstances of her death.

Van Gundy told longtime friend and sports talk host Dan Le Batard, on the latter's «South Beach Sessions» podcast, that Kim, 61, died by suicide.

«She took her own life, Dan,» Van Gundy said. «I can't imagine that I'll ever get over that.… It was devastating.»

Van Gundy discussed at length the woman he began a relationship with when he was 24 and the life they had built in more than three decades 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 had been diagnosed with a mental illness.

«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 going to see her again. I'm trying hard to stay connected.… My house is full of pictures of Kim. There's a montage of pictures above my bed that my kids did for me of Kim. I'm trying hard to remember her voice, to remember her smile, all of those things. But more than anything, live her values, because her values were better than 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