Bob Love
A three-time NBA All-Star whose smooth, ambidextrous scoring paved the way for the Chicago Bulls before becoming the franchise's beloved ambassador.
1942–2024 (age 82)·American basketball player·Birthday: December 8·The Silent Generation
Biography
Long before Michael Jordan's arrival, Bob 'Butterbean' Love was the face of the Chicago Bulls and one of the league's most potent forwards. Born in Louisiana, Love overcame a severe childhood stutter to excel at basketball, developing a unique ability to finish with either hand around the basket. After brief stops with other teams, he found his home in Chicago, where from 1968 to 1976 he was the Bulls' engine, leading the team in scoring for seven consecutive seasons. A three-time All-Star, he took the Bulls to the Western Conference Finals in 1975. His post-playing life is a story of profound resilience. Plagued by his stutter, he worked as a busboy before undergoing speech therapy, which transformed his life. He returned to the Bulls organization as a community ambassador, where his warmth and perseverance made him a symbol of the franchise's heart and history.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bob was born in 1942, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1942
#1 Movie
Bambi
Best Picture
Mrs. Miniver
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1942Born
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1947Started school
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1955Became a teenager
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Could drive
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1960Could vote
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Turned 21
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1972Turned 30
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 40
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 50
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 60
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 70
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 80
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2024Died at 82
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
Key Achievements
- Led the Chicago Bulls in scoring for seven consecutive seasons (1969-1976).
- Selected as an NBA All-Star three times (1971, 1972, 1973).
- Averaged a career-high 25.8 points per game during the 1971-72 season.
- Had his jersey number 10 retired by the Chicago Bulls in 1994.
Did You Know?
His childhood nickname 'Butterbean' came from his love of eating butterbeans.
He worked as a busboy at a Nordstrom department store after his NBA career, struggling with a stutter.
He became a motivational speaker after conquering his speech impediment through therapy.
He served as the Director of Community Affairs for the Chicago Bulls for decades.
“You can't have a testimony without a test.”
