Bob Love

Robert (Bob) Earl “Butterbean” Love (born December 8 1942, in Bastrop, Louisiana) is a retired American professional basketball player who spent the prime of his career with the NBA's Chicago Bulls. A versatile forward who could shoot with either his left or right hand, Love now works as the Bulls' Director of Community Affairs.cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/staff_directory.html|title=Staff Directory|date=2007-10-01]

Early years

After starring at Morehouse High School (now defunct) in Bastrop, Louisiana, Love played basketball for Southern University, where he also became a brother of Alpha Phi Omega. He earned All-America honors in 1963, and in 1965, the Cincinnati Royals selected the 6’8” forward in the fourth round of the 1965 NBA Draft. Love failed to make the team, and instead spent the 1965-66 NBA season in the Eastern Basketball League. After averaging over 25 points per game, Love earned the EBL Rookie of the Year Award and gained enough confidence to try out for the Royals once more. He made the team on his second attempt and played two seasons for the Royals, largely in a reserve role. In 1968, the Milwaukee Bucks selected him in the NBA Expansion Draft and traded him to the Chicago Bulls in the middle of the 1968-69 season.

The Chicago Bulls

Love flourished while playing for Dick Motta's Bulls. In 1969-1970, he became a full-time starter, averaging 21 points and 8.7 rebounds. The following two seasons he averaged 25.2 and 25.8 points per game, appeared in his first two All-Star Games, and earned All-NBA Second Team honors both seasons. Love also appeared in the 1973 NBA All-Star Game, and he would average at least 19 points and six rebounds every season until 1976-1977. Love was named to the NBA's All-Defense Second Team in 1974 and 1975.

His #10 jersey was the second jersey number to be retired by the Chicago Bulls. Jerry Sloan's #4 was the first. Love's 1995 wedding ceremony to Rachel Dixon took place at the United Center.

Post-basketball career

Love retired in 1977 with career totals of 13,895 points and 4,653 rebounds. He suffered from a severe stuttering problem,cite news
title = Basketball star's greatest triumph came after cheering stopped
author = Bob Greene
work = Chicago Tribune
date = 1993-03-21
accessdate = 2008-07-22 ] which prevented him from finding meaningful employment after his playing days were over. At one point, Love was a busboy making $4.45 an hour. Eventually, the owner of the restaurant where Love washed dishes offered to pay for speech therapy classes, and in 1993 he returned to the Chicago Bulls as their director of community relations. One of his duties in this position involves regularly speaking to school children. Love has also become a motivational speaker.

He wrote a book, "The Bob Love Story: If It's Gonna Be, It's Up to Me" (ISBN 0-8092-2597-2), in 1999.

References

External links

* [http://www.basketballreference.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=LOVEBO01 Bob Love NBA career statistics]
* [http://www.chicagosportsreview.com/inthemeantime/contentview.asp?c=201686 Bob Love: A Cheesy, Clichéd Story that Works]