Former Bulls star Bob Love dead at 81

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Bob Love, a three-time NBA All-Star with the Chicago Bulls, died on Monday after a long battle with cancer, the team said. He was 81.

Love played 11 seasons in the NBA, including nearly nine years with the Bulls. He also played for the Cincinnati Royals, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Nets and Seattle SuperSonics. The Royals selected him in the fourth round of the 1965 draft out of Southern University.

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Chicago Bulls forward Bob Love, #10, in action against the Atlanta Hawks at The Omni. (Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports)

"With his No. 10 jersey hanging in the United Center rafters, his on-court achievements are forever etched in history, but Bob’s impact transcended basketball," the Bulls said. "He became an inspirational figure and a passionate community ambassador for the Bulls, dedicating himself to charitable causes and uplifting countless lives with his motivational speeches. 

"We are profoundly grateful for his enduring contributions and legacy both on and off the court in Chicago."

Love grew up in Louisiana as one of 14 children and was nicknamed "Butterbean" for his love of lima beans.

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Former Chicago Bulls player and director of community affairs for the team, Bob Love, shows media members that he hasn't lost his touch with the ball after announcing his candidacy for Alderman in the city's 15th ward on Sept. 25, 2002 in Chicago. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)

The height of his professional career came in the early 1970s, when he was an All-Star for three consecutive seasons from