Bob Love

Lore & Background

Love did not become a starter in the NBA until he was 27-years old, with the 1969–70 Chicago Bulls. Over a seven-season period with the Bulls from 1969 to 1976, the ambidextrous Love averaged over 21 points per game in six consecutive seasons, led the Bulls in scoring in six consecutive seasons, was an NBA All-Star three times, second-team All-NBA twice, and a second-team NBA All-Defensive Team selection three times. Love averaged between six and 8.7 rebounds per game during that same time period.

He led the Bulls in minutes played in multiple seasons, and is in the top-five Bulls players all-time in career minutes played per game and scoring average. In 47 playoff games with Bulls, Love averaged nearly 44 minutes and 23 points per game. He was a member of the Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor's inaugural class in 2023. He was the second Bulls player to have his number retired.

Love attended Southern University, where he played four years of varsity basketball. He averaged double-doubles as a sophomore (22.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game), junior (25.6 points and 18 rebounds per game), and as a senior (30.6 points and 18.2 rebounds per game). He was an NAIA All-American as a junior (third-team) and senior (first-team), and was first team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) for three consecutive seasons. He was the selected as the SWAC's most valuable player in 1965.

Southern retired his number in 2012. Love was nicknamed 'Butterbean' because of his fondness for the legume in childhood, and the name went with him throughout his life.

Reader's Guide

Love was born on December 8, 1942, in Bastrop, Louisiana. He grew up in a two-bedroom shanty, and in the cotton fields of Louisiana, the son of a sharecropper. He was one of 14 children; his mother being only 15-years old when she gave birth to him. Love was eight years old when his mother re-married an ex-Marine, who was abusive and would physically strike the young Love at random.

Soon after, Love ran away to live with his grandmother when he was eight years old. When Love's stepfather came to retrieve him, Love recalls his grandmother met the man at her door holding an axe handle, and said 'Get out of here . . . The boy lives here now'. Love suffered from a severe stuttering disability and seldom spoke as a child, fearing to be called on in school where other children would ridicule him.

Love reportedly did not meet his biological father until he was 33. As a child, Love's first basketball hoop was made out of a coat hangar, and his first basketball was a pair of socks. Love starred in both basketball and football (as the quarterback) at Morehouse High School (now defunct) in Bastrop. He reportedly led Morehouse to state titles in both sports.

He was able to call plays as a quarterback because he did not stutter when he sang, and he would sing the play calls to his teammates in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage. Love was ambidextrous as a scorer in basketball. He was not in the starting basketball lineup as a junior, playing behind future NBA player Lucious Jackson; but became a starter as a senior after Jackson graduated, averaging over 30 points per game. Love had a growth spurt during high school, and was 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 180 lb (81.6 kg) when he graduated in 1961.

Love earned a football scholarship to Southern University (Southern or SU) in Baton Rouge, part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). He was recruited to play quarterback on the school's football by Southern's athletic director, A. W. 'Ace' Mumford. However, Love never played a game of football at SU. Instead, while working on campus during the summer before his freshman year, SU basketball coach Dick Mack saw Love playing basketball at the school gym and convinced Love to join the basketball team.

By the fourth game of his freshman basketball season, Love became a starter on SU's basketball team. Love averaged 12.8 points per game as a freshman.

Overcoming Adversity: The Battle with Stuttering

Robert Earl Love's ability to communicate was forged through a lifelong battle with a severe stutter that began in childhood. Born in Bastrop, Louisiana, he rarely spoke as a child for fear of ridicule at school. His stepfather's abuse drove him to live with his grandmother at age eight, where she famously brandished an axe handle to keep the man away. Even as an adult, the condition was debilitating; Bob Greene described Love's struggle to speak, noting that it could take minutes to form a single word while his face contorted in frustration.

However, Love found unique ways to overcome this barrier: he sang play calls as a high school quarterback because singing did not trigger the stutter. After retiring from the NBA, where he worked menial jobs like dishwashing and busboy work, Love transformed his struggle into strength. He eventually became an executive with the Bulls and Nordstrom, managing health and sanitation for a 70-restaurant chain, and served as a motivational speaker to thousands of children, sharing his story of resilience.

Dominant NBA Tenure with the Chicago Bulls

Love did not become an NBA starter until he was 27 years old in the 1969–70 season, but his impact on the Chicago Bulls from 1969 to 1976 was immediate and lasting. The ambidextrous forward averaged over 21 points per game for six consecutive seasons, leading the team in scoring each of those years. His offensive output was matched by defensive intensity, earning him three NBA All-Star selections, two second-team All-NBA honors, and three second-team NBA All-Defensive Team nods.

Love's rebounding was consistent, averaging between 6 and 8.7 rebounds per game during this prime period. He led the Bulls in minutes played multiple seasons, a testament to his durability and importance to the team's rotation. His playoff performance was particularly impressive; in 47 games, he averaged nearly 23 points while playing almost 44 minutes per contest. In 2023, these contributions were recognized when Love was named to the Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor inaugural class and became the second player in franchise history to have his number retired.

Collegiate Excellence at Southern University

Love's collegiate career at Southern University was defined by statistical dominance and historic achievements. Initially recruited as a quarterback on a football scholarship, he never played a game of football after basketball coach Dick Mack discovered him playing pickup games in the gym. By his fourth game as a freshman, Love had become a starter, averaging 12.8 points per game. His production exploded in subsequent years: as a sophomore (1962–63), he averaged 22.6 points and 12.3 rebounds; as a junior (1963–64), he posted 25.6 points and 18 rebounds, earning third-team NAIA All-American honors; and as a senior (1964–65), he averaged 30.6 points and 18.2 rebounds per game.

This senior campaign saw him named SWAC MVP, unanimous first-team NAIA All-American, and the first black player selected by area sportswriters to the All-Southern team. He led Southern to a 25–5 record and an appearance in the 1965 NAIA tournament, where he scored 86 points and grabbed 53 rebounds in three games before being eliminated in a heartbreaking 65–64 loss to Ouachita Baptist.

Enduring Legacy and Life Beyond the Court

Known affectionately as "Butterbean" due to his childhood fondness for the legume, Love's nickname stayed with him throughout his life. His post-playing career was as impressive as his on-court achievements. After retiring from the NBA, he worked as a dishwasher and busboy before rising to become an executive with the Chicago Bulls as a community affairs director and goodwill ambassador. He also managed health and sanitation for a 70-restaurant chain under Nordstrom.

Love dedicated himself to helping others, becoming a motivational speaker who addressed thousands of children about overcoming adversity. His legacy was formally honored in 2023 when he was inducted into the Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor as part of its inaugural class. Additionally, Southern University retired his number in 2012, and he remains the second Bulls player to have his jersey number retired by the franchise, securing his place in basketball history not just for his scoring, but for his indomitable spirit.