Former Chicago Bulls great, 3-time NBA All-Star dies

CHICAGO -- Former Chicago Bulls star forward Bob “Butterbean” Love has died, the team announced. He was 81. Love died Monday after a long battle with cancer, the team said in a post to X. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of Bob Love, a true Chicago Bulls legend and beloved human being,” Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a news release. Born Dec. 8, 1942, in Bastrop, Louisiana, Love was one of 14 children. Nicknamed “Butterbean” for his love of the edible seeds, Love starred at Southern University in Baton Rouge before he was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals in the fourth round of the 1965 NBA Draft. However, he was waived by the Royals and played his rookie season in the minors Eastern League. Love tried out for the Royals again the following season and made the team, playing his first two NBA seasons in Cincinnati, mostly as a reserve player. Following two seasons in Cincinnati, Love was made available for the 1968 NBA Expansion Draft, where he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks. But his time in Milwaukee didn’t last long; After 14 games, Love was traded along with Bob Weiss to Chicago in exchange for Flynn Robinson. Love became a starter for the Bulls during the 1969-70 season and had a breakout season, averaging 21 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while finishing 16th in NBA MVP award voting. The following season, Love earned his first of three consecutive All-Star selections while being named All-NBA Second Team and finishing seventh in MVP voting. He was also named All-NBA Second Team for the 1971-72 season, when he finished sixth in MVP voting. Love played nine of his 11 NBA seasons for the Bulls from 1968 to 1976, averaging 21.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Just 14 games into the 1976-77 season, Love was traded by the Bulls to the New York Nets in exchange for a second round pick in the 1977 NBA draft. He played 13 games for the Nets before being released in January 1977, when he signed with the Seattle Supersonics. He played 32 games for Seattle and retired following that season. For his 11-year NBA career, Love averaged 17.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 789 games. Following his retirement from the NBA, Love in January 1994 became the second player in Bulls history to have his No. 10 jersey number retired by the franchise, joining former Bulls player and head coach Jerry Sloan. He was also part of the Bulls’ inaugural Ring of Honor class this year in January. “Bob is one of the original Bulls greats,” Reinsdorf said. “During his nine seasons with the Bulls, Bob became a cornerstone of the franchise, and his tenacious defense set high standards for competition and toughness. Toughness was not only a trademark of Bob’s play on the court, but also apparent in his resiliency throughout his basketball career. His impact on the Bulls and the countless lives he touched through his work in the community will keep him in our memories forever. We send our deepest condolences to Bob’s wife, Emily, and his entire family.”