 Love with theChicago Bulls | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1942-12-08)December 8, 1942 Bastrop, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | November 18, 2024(2024-11-18) (aged 81) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Morehouse (Bastrop, Louisiana) |
| College | Southern (1961–1965) |
| NBA draft | 1965: 4th round, 33rd overall pick |
| Drafted by | Cincinnati Royals |
| Playing career | 1965–1977 |
| Position | Small forward |
| Number | 21, 9, 10 |
| Career history | |
| 1965–1966 | Trenton Colonials |
| 1966–1968 | Cincinnati Royals |
| 1968 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1968–1976 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1976–1977 | New York Nets |
| 1977 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 13,895 (17.6 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 4,653 (5.9 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,123 (1.4 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Robert Earl Love (December 8, 1942 – November 18, 2024) was an American professionalbasketball player who spent the prime of his career with theNational Basketball Association'sChicago Bulls.[1][2] A versatile forward who could shoot with either his left or right hand, Love later worked as the Bulls' director of community affairs and goodwill ambassador.[3] Love was nicknamed "Butterbean", which dates back to his boyhood when he was fond of thelegume.[4]
Love grew up in the cotton fields of Louisiana, the son of asharecropper. His first basket was made out of a wire hanger and his first basketball was a pair of socks. He suffered from a severestuttering disability and seldom spoke, fearing to be called on in school where other children would ridicule him.[5][6][7] Love was raised by an abusive stepfather until he was 8, and did not meet his biological father until he was 33. He ran away to live with his grandmother when he was 8.[7]
Love starred in both basketball and football (as the quarterback) at Morehouse High School (now defunct) inBastrop, Louisiana, leading his team to state titles in both sports.[7] He graduated in 1961.[8] Love earned a football scholarship toSouthern University inBaton Rouge, where he also became a brother ofAlpha Phi Omega, but wound up playing basketball.[7][9] Love averaged 12.8 points as a freshman, 22.6 as a sophomore, 25.6 as a junior (and 18 rebounds a game), and 30.6 as a senior (and 18.2 rebounds a game), which scoring average led theSouthwestern Athletic Conference that year. He was a three-timeNAIA All-American. He was also a three-time All-Southwestern Conference selection.[10][11] Southern University retired his number 41 on January 7, 2012.[12]
Love graduated with abachelor of science degree in food and nutrition.[7]
In 1965, theCincinnati Royals selected the 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) forward in the fourth round of the1965 NBA draft. Love failed to make the team,[5] and instead spent the 1965–66 season in theEastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL). After averaging over 25 points per game, Love earned the EPBL Rookie of the Year Award[13] and gained enough confidence to try out for the Royals once more. He made the team on his second attempt,[7] and played two seasons for the Royals, largely in a reserve role. Love made his NBA debut on October 18, 1966.[14]
In 1968, theMilwaukee Bucks selected him in theNBA expansion draft and traded him to the Chicago Bulls in the middle of the1968–69 season, at Love's request. Even though Love had averaged 20 points a game in the pre-season, the Bucks told him they would not keep him because of Love's communication problems.[7]
Love flourished while playing for futureNaismith Hall of Fame coachDick Motta's Bulls. Love played for the Bulls for eight seasons, led the team in scoring seven of those seasons, was a three-timeNBA All-Star with the Bulls, and a three-timeNBA All-Defensive Team and two-timeAll-NBA Team selection.[7][10][15] In1969–70, 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,[14] appeared in his first two All-Star Games,[16] and earned All-NBA second-team honors both seasons. Love also appeared in the1973 All-Star Game, which the Bulls hosted,[16] and he would average at least 19 points and six rebounds every season until1976–77. Love was named to the NBA's All-Defense second-team for the 1971–1972, 1973–1974 and 1974–1975 seasons.[17]
His No. 10 jersey was the second jersey number to be retired by the Chicago Bulls.Jerry Sloan's No. 4 was the first. Love's 1995 wedding ceremony to Rachel Dixon took place at theUnited Center.[18]
Love suffered a back injury in 1976 and was traded to the Seattle Supersonics, and was cut the following season.[7]
Love had a severe issue with stuttering, such that at one point after his all-star NBA career ended the only work he could find was as a dishwasher and busboy at aNordstrom in Seattle. In the 1980s, with the support of store head John Nordstrom, Love began working with speech therapist Susan Hamilton who helped him overcome his stutter. Love overcame his speech disability and became a motivational speaker.[5][6][7] In 1992, the Bulls hired Love as Director of Community Affairs, where he spoke to thousands of teenagers, making hundreds of speeches a year.[8][7][19]
Love died after a long battle with cancer in Chicago, on November 18, 2024, at the age of 81.[20] The Bulls announced his death on their social media accounts later that day.[21]
In addition to honors received as a player, the Bulls retired Love's number on January 14, 1994.[22] He received the Individual Achievement Award from the National Council for Communicative Disorders, and the NBA's Oscar Robertson Leadership Award in 1989.[8][10] Love was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1983.[10] He was also selected to the NAIA, Basketball Coaches, Illinois, and Helms Halls of Fame.[11] There is a historical marker to Love in Baton Rouge.[23]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966–67 | Cincinnati | 66 | — | 16.3 | .429 | — | .633 | 3.9 | 0.7 | — | — | 6.7 |
| 1967–68 | Cincinnati | 72 | — | 14.8 | .424 | — | .684 | 2.9 | 0.8 | — | — | 6.4 |
| 1968–69 | Milwaukee | 14 | — | 16.2 | .368 | — | .763 | 4.6 | 0.2 | — | — | 7.6 |
| 1968–69 | Chicago | 35 | — | 9.0 | .416 | — | .724 | 2.5 | 0.4 | — | — | 5.1 |
| 1969–70 | Chicago | 82* | — | 38.1 | .466 | — | .842 | 8.7 | 1.8 | — | — | 21.0 |
| 1970–71 | Chicago | 81 | — | 43.0 | .447 | — | .829 | 8.5 | 2.3 | — | — | 25.2 |
| 1971–72 | Chicago | 79 | — | 39.3 | .442 | — | .784 | 6.6 | 1.6 | — | — | 25.8 |
| 1972–73 | Chicago | 82* | — | 37.0 | .431 | — | .824 | 6.5 | 1.5 | — | — | 23.1 |
| 1973–74 | Chicago | 82* | — | 40.1 | .417 | — | .818 | 6.0 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 21.8 |
| 1974–75 | Chicago | 61 | — | 39.4 | .429 | — | .830 | 6.3 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 22.0 |
| 1975–76 | Chicago | 76 | — | 37.1 | .390 | — | .801 | 6.7 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 19.1 |
| 1976–77 | Chicago | 14 | — | 35.4 | .338 | — | .761 | 5.2 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 12.2 |
| 1976–77 | New York | 13 | — | 17.5 | .462 | — | .846 | 2.9 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 10.1 |
| 1976–77 | Seattle | 32 | — | 14.1 | .372 | — | .872 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 4.1 |
| Career | 789 | — | 31.8 | .429 | — | .805 | 5.9 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 17.6 | |
| Source:[14] | ||||||||||||
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969–70 | Chicago | 5 | — | 34.4 | .385 | — | .792 | 9.2 | 0.8 | — | — | 11.8 |
| 1970–71 | Chicago | 7 | — | 47.1* | .491 | — | .806 | 7.3 | 1.4 | — | — | 26.7* |
| 1971–72 | Chicago | 4 | — | 43.3 | .360 | — | .846 | 6.8 | 1.8 | — | — | 18.8 |
| 1972–73 | Chicago | 7 | — | 44.9 | .459 | — | .732 | 9.6 | 3.3 | — | — | 23.7 |
| 1973–74 | Chicago | 11 | — | 44.5 | .405 | — | .763 | 5.7 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 23.0 |
| 1974–75 | Chicago | 13 | — | 44.8 | .437 | — | .779 | 7.5 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 25.8 |
| Career | 47 | — | 43.9 | .431 | — | .776 | 7.5 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 22.9 | |
| Source:[14] | ||||||||||||
Love ended his NBA career with the Bulls after spending parts of the 1976–77 season in New York and Seattle. He would finish with career totals of 13,895 points, 1,123 assists, and 4,653 rebounds. Love developed astutter in childhood,[24] and some say it prevented him from finding meaningful employment after his playing days were over. At one point, Love was hired as a busboy and dishwasher byNordstrom where he earned $4.45 an hour.[24][25] Eventually, John Nordstrom, the director of the family business, was so impressed with the former NBA star's work ethic, he offered to pay forspeech therapy classes. Nordstrom later promoted Love to be the corporate spokesperson. He became an executive with Nordstrom and a manager of health and sanitation for its national seventy-restaurant chain.[26] In 1993, Love returned to the Chicago Bulls as their director of community relations.[24][27] One of his duties in this position involved regularly speaking to school children.[24] Love had also become a motivational speaker.[28]
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |