Born in Delhi, Louisiana, in 1943, Love was one of thirteen children. Throughout his childhood and most of his adult life, he suffered from a debilitating stutter. This handicap forced him to turn inward and dream of becoming a professional basketball player. Bob Love played with the Chicago Bulls for eight seasons from 1969 to 1976. For seven straight years he was the Chicago Bulls' leading scorer and is the second highest scorer in Bulls history. (Did you guess that Michael Jordan is the top scorer?) His jersey was retired on January 14, 1994, but he is the proud recipient of the Individual Achievement Award from the National Council for Communicative Disorders and the Oscar Robertson Leadership Award, the NBA's highest award. In spite of all his success as an athlete, Bob dreamed of being able to talk without stuttering. All his life, Bob stumbled over words and often couldn't say anything at all. When Bob retired from basketball he tried for seven years to find a steady job and, in 1984, was hired as a dishwasher for $4.45 an hour. Finally, at the age of 45 he found a speech therapist who helped him learn to speak without struggling. Bob is now the Community Relations Director for his former team, the Chicago Bulls, and an inspiring motivational speaker. On the platform, Love talks about personal discipline, people skills and overcoming adversity.
