Chicago Bulls legend Bob Love has passed away following a battle with cancer, the team announced. He was 81 years old.
“Bob is one of the original Bulls greats,” Jerry Reinsdorf, Chicago Bulls chairman, said in a statement. “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.”
Butterbean — who was a member of the franchise from 1968-1976 — was selected in the fourth round of the 1965 NBA Draft by the Cincinnati Royals. After spending a year in the Eastern Basketball League, he tried out for the Royals again in 1966.
He then spent two years with the team … before being selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Expansion Draft — who traded him to the Bulls that same year.
In his nine years with the Bulls, the 6-foot-8 forward averaged 21.3 points per game with 6.8 rebounds per game.
The three-time NBA All-Star called it a career after the 1976-77 season … and had his jersey retired in 1994.
RIP