I’m not really worried about how the Chicago Bulls decide to honor Bull Great, Bob Love, who just passed away at the age of 81. I’m pretty sure I don’t have default access to Bulls telecasts under their new arrangement. Truly no skin off my teeth.

I’m not able to share either of the two columns in the local papers that referenced his career and passing because of paywalls. From what I saw neither did the man justice. Love was not HOF worthy, but was a Bulls legend and an icon in a city bereft of championships. He was a major part of a Bulls team that captured the hearts and imagination in the pre-Jordan Era. In nine seasons with the Bulls, he averaged 21.3 ppg and 6+ rebounds per game, not too bad for a guy nicknamed Butterbean.

During the end of his career with the Bulls and for the next 30 years, he was a fixture in Greater Chicago, making hundreds of personal appearances-some for the Bulls and others as an icon. Like Ernie Banks, Minnie Minoso, Gale Sayers and Stan Makita, he was always gracious and a positive role model. You always came away feeling better after interacting with Bob.

In his post playing career, he was best known for his public speaking which was remarkable given that he overcame a severe stuttering problem. While kids who grew up with Jordan and his Bulls were treated to immediate success and greatness, those of us that grew up with the Dick Motta Bulls were treated to an entirely different greatness, and when Jordan & Company came along, our appreciation for the brand of ball was even greater.

As Jim O’Donnell of the Daily Herald wrote, “The Motta-Love warriors were incapable of accepting such dormancy. Every game from 1969-1975 was an event, every trip up or down a basketball floor a possible rendezvous with blood and tumbles. They thrilled, they entertained. They broke hearts every spring. But what an er to be a wide-eyed young Bulls fan.”

While I marveled at the Jordan led Bulls, I never believed meeting him would rival any of the encounters I had with Love or Norm Van Lier. They may have disappointed on the court, but never in person.

R.I.P. Mr. Love!