Butterbean
One of the first legends in Chicago Bulls history: Bob Love
Throughout the off-season, the team at Bulls Confidential is going to reveal our picks for the top 25 best players in Chicago Bulls franchise history. We are measuring overall impact on the organization, community, and how they impacted their team. Follow along on Twitter by searching #BC25.
10. Dennis Rodman
9. Luol Deng
8. Jimmy Butler
5. Bob Love
As one of only four Chicago Bulls to have their jersey retired, we have Bob Love in the top five of our list here at Bulls Confidential. His path to becoming an NBA star had plenty of twists and turns. Born in 1942 in Louisiana, Love had 13 brothers and sisters. Not to be confused with the boxer, Bob was nicknamed Butterbean for his love of the vegetable. He was always an exceptional athlete despite growing up impoverished and suffering from a stutter. Bob Love didn’t let any of this diminish his confidence. He excelled at multiple sports, starting at quarterback for his high school football team and leading them to a Louisiana state championship. Love endured a massive growth spurt during his junior year of high school that saw him rise to nearly 6-foot-8. However, he attended Southern University in Baton Rouge with intentions of playing football. Fortunately, Southern’s football coach quickly noticed Bob’s talents would be more useful on the hardwood.
Everything changed for Bob Love. The switch in sports at college opened doors for him he never saw possible. He dramatically improved his game each season of college basketball. He went from averaging 12 points a game as a freshman to over 30 points a game as a senior. Love changed the culture of basketball at Southern University. He got professional scout’s attention with his scoring ability and elite body control and coordination for his size. Love was traded from Milwaukee to the Bulls following the expansion draft in 1968. During his first full season with the Chicago Bulls, Bob Love played all 82 games, averaging 21 points and 38 minutes per contest. Love embodied the grit and toughness all of the best Bulls teams were known for. Over the course of seven straight seasons, he led the team in scoring every year and played in 543 regular season games.
In 1971, Love and and Bulls had a chance at playoff glory before a heartbreaking Game 7 loss to Wilt Chamberlain’s Lakers. This would become a common theme as Love’s Bulls were swept by the Lakers in 1972 and lost another Game 7 to Los Angeles in 1973. Chicago won their first playoff series after a seven game battle with the Detroit Pistons in 1974. They were promptly swept by Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the following round. For three straight seasons, Bob Love was an All-Star. He was a NBA All-Defensive selection. Love is in the top 10 in almost every statistical category in Chicago Bulls history. He has scored the third most points of any Bull with 12,623.
Chicago retired Love’s jersey in 1994, and now his number 10 will hang from the United Center rafters forever. He’s cemented his legacy in NBA history, and he’s proven to be an excellent man off the court as well. He has since worked with a speech therapist and was able to overcome his stutter. He became an inspirational speaker and delivers hundreds of speeches each year. Love remains active in charitable work to this day, and he will always be remembered by the Bulls organization.
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