Among Chicago Bull folklore, Bob Love goes under the radar more often than not.
An undersized power forward, the 6-foot-8, 215-pound Love had a very unique set of skills on the offensive end. He was always a presence around the basket, while possessing a solid touch with both hands. He’d face up from the mid-post and would simply demoralize opponents with jumpers on end.
His shooting ability was somewhat of the antithesis for the rest of his game, as it forced defenders to take away airspace. This in turn allowed him to get to the bucket. If Love was really feeling it, the lack of space wouldn’t affect his jumper at all.
Love had played for roughly two and a half seasons before landing in Chicago, but it wasn’t until he arrived in the Windy City that his opportunity to shine came along. He would go from under 20 minutes a night to roughly 40, and seeing his points per game average skyrocket from single-digits to the mid-20s.
All in all, Love went on to average 21.3 points over nine seasons in Chicago, which happened to get him all the way to No. 2 on the Bulls all-time scoring list. This is a pretty impressive feat given some of the other players ranked below him.
As mostly an unathletic and undersized power forward, Love clearly was never must-see TV even at his absolute best. There is however, this undeniable truth that he proved to be one of his era’s most underrated talents. His minutes may have inflated his numbers, but that still doesn’t take away from the fact that his abilities on the court were real and a true testament to his greatness as a scorer.