Bob Love
NBA All-Star and Inspiration
Few stories are as dramatic as Bob Love's. Growing up poor as one of 14 children in rural Louisiana, Bob Love had a dream to play in the NBA, but couldn't afford a basketball. He persevered to become the greatest player to wear a Chicago Bulls uniform prior to the Michael Jordan era. But he was never able to do something that everyone else did easily, speak without stuttering. When he retired from the NBA he tried for seven years to find a steady job and was finally hired as a dishwasher. Love's presentations focus on the importance of dreams and how to hold on to them. He uses vivid examples from his own life story to teach audiences how they can overcome life's challenges.
Few life stories are as dramatic as Bob Love's. Growing up poor and one of fourteen children, he dreamed of playing in the NBA. Not able to afford a basket or basketball, Bob nailed a coat hanger to the side of his grandmother's house and used his imagination. As he grew to a six-foot-eight high school senior, Bob's dreams of being a great athlete became real. For seven straight years he was the Bulls' leading scorer and is the second-highest scorer in Bulls history, scoring 12,263 points. A three-time NBA All-Star, Bob had his jersey retired by the Chicago Bulls on January 14, 1994. Michael Jordan, NBA great, said of Bob, "When the Chicago Bulls retired Bob Love's jersey, I joined cheering fans in applauding his lifetime of achievement in the game of basketball... Bob Love personifies the best qualities of an NBA player, both on and off the court."
Despite his great success as an athlete, Bob dreamed of speaking without a severe stutter and of overcoming the long periods when he could not speak at all. After much work and determination, Bob not only spoke well, but became a professional speaker. In his moving and inspirational presentations, Bob tells audiences that dreams really can come true.
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If It's To Be, It's Up To Me
Few life stories are as dramatic as Bob Love's. After injuring his back in an NBA game, doctors told him he would never walk again. The odds just seemed to be stacked against him.
Unable to speak, Bob tried for seven years to find a steady job and in 1984, found work as a dishwasher for measly wages. While at work, Bob found a speech therapist who helped him learn to speak. At the age of 45, Bob realized his dream of being able to speak without stuttering.
The Chicago Bulls heard about Bob's success and offered him the job of Director of Community Relations. He would now earn a salary speaking about the Bulls and life in general, something he never thought would be possible.
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Bob's story and his delivery are so inspirational that it would be hard for any individual to find an excuse not to live up to their highest potential...
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Bob was wonderful. Audience members were ready to cry at the end of his story. Our company was bought out by Motorola and going through a lot of changes at the time, Bob's story really hit close to home.
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He was terrific. His story is fascinating. Every person in the room was able to get something important out of his presentation from elementary school children to faculty, staff, and parents.
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Bob was wonderful. He was very warm to the crowd and everybody really liked him. He was a great storyteller and had a great story to tell.
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November 1999The Bob Love Story: If It's Gonna Be, It's Up to Me
Bob Love tells the story of his life as a basketball player who's career ended after a injury and he ended up washing dishes to make ends meet. Love recounts how out of adversity, he pulled himself up and into the Director of Community Relations for the Chicago Bulls and was able to overcome his life-long studdering problem.
