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Born in 1942, Bob Love grew up in poverty as one of 14 children in rural Louisiana. As a child he was unable to do what most of us take for granted-speak properly. He stuttered severely. To escape from his embarrassing speech problem, Love dreamed of one day becoming a basketball star. As he grew to a 6’8” high school senior, Bob's dreams of being a great athlete became real. He played in college, then for the Cincinnati Royals, and then traded to the Chicago Bulls.
Bob became one of the top players ever to play the game of basketball. He played with the Bulls for eight seasons from 1969 — 1976 and was a three-time NBA All-Star. For seven straight years he was the Bulls’ leading scorer and is the second highest scorer in Bulls history (Michael Jordan is the top scorer).
His life was unstoppable until he hurt his back, which ended his playing days. Doctors told him he would never walk again. Unable to speak, Bob tried for years to find a steady job. In the early 80's he hit rock bottom. He took a job bussing tables and washing dishes at Nordstrom's in Seattle, Washington. It was the most humiliating and embarrassing time of his life. He endured for over a year-and-a-half, and one day, one of the Nordstrom owners offered to help him with his speech problem. Finally at the age of 45, he found a speech therapist who helped him learn to speak without struggling. In 1992, Bob was offered and accepted the job as director of community relations of the Chicago Bulls. Bob Love is living proof that dreams can come true for those who hang onto them. This program was sponsored by the Friends of the Kankakee Public Library and the City of Kankakee. 46 min. 01 sec.

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