As a journalist, I’m always searching for a story to write in the Mendota Reporter and the Amboy News, or a person to talk to for Edge of Your Seat Podcast.

When I saw Bob Love, former Chicago Bulls small forward (1968-76) was going to be at the Peru Mall for the Illinois Valley Sportscard and Collectible Show on Saturday, Nov. 16, I immediately called the contact number on the flier to see if I could arrange a chat with Love.

With an agreement to promote the show, I was granted a five-minute sit down with the former Bull during the show. Of course, I was pumped.

With the success of local fall sports teams, especially the Amboy-LaMoille-Ohio football team and the Mendota boys soccer team, I waited to publish the story until the Nov. 13 editions of both the Reporter and the News.

The story was written, photos were edited, the pages were designed, the papers were sent to press.

In a rough estimate, I’d say it was 30 minutes later, but it could have been 28.7 minutes, I received a text from the card show organizer, Dave Marvin, saying Bob Love may not make the show because he wasn’t feeling well.

We evolved into a conversation talking about the show and statements of how we hoped Love was OK were definitely involved. He said he’d let me know if Love wasn’t going to be there.

Time stamped in the text convo, I received a text seven-minutes later saying it was confirmed, Love wasn’t coming because of health issues.

I was bummed because I wouldn’t get the opportunity to talk to a guy who I made sure I played as in NBA2K (on PlayStation, of course) every year as a key contributor to my amazing MyTeam rosters. I was also bummed for Marvin because he was excited to have Love come to his sold-out show as all of the tables available at the Peru Mall were booked by vendors.

At 8:04 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18, I was heartbroken for Love, his family, the Chicago Bulls family, and anyone else who had been blessed with the chance to know Bob Love as Marvin sent me a message…Bob Love died.

My initial reaction was, ‘What?’

Marvin answered, ‘I knew he was in the hospital, but I didn’t know it was that bad.’

“Butterbean” a nickname Love picked up as a kid because he loved the treat, passed away at 81 after a long fight with cancer.

Unfortunately, we’re all going to pass away at some point, some day, no matter who we are or what we do. But in this case, it doesn’t seem fair.

I’m not saying it as a journalist who won’t be able to speak to him, I’m saying it as a human being who respects and admires amazing human beings who had a purpose or overcame a setback. Love was that guy.

Born on December 8, 1942 in Louisiana, Love had a severe stuttering issue which caused him to seldomly speak, his stepfather was abusive, which caused him to flee to his grandmother’s house when he was eight, and he didn’t meet his biological dad until he was 33.

In his 40s, in the 1980s, he finally met with a speech therapist who helped him surpass his speaking disability. In a true fighter mentality, Love then became a motivational speaker talking in front of thousands of teenagers, many times a year, as the director of community affairs for the Chicago Bulls.

Love, a three-time NBA All-Star who averaged 17.6 points (42.9 shooting percentage from the field and 80.5 from the free throw line), 5.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game over 789 games in his 11-year career, earned awards and honors such as having his No. 10 jersey retired by the Bulls, being inducted into five hall of fames (Louisiana Sports, NAIA, Basketball Coaches, Illinois, and Helms), and there is a historical marker in his honor in Baton Rouge.

Although any recognition is amazing, something in me tells me Love was just as proud or even more proud of receiving the Individual Achievement Award from the National Council for Communicative Disorders and the NBA Oscar Robertson Leadership Award.

If you have talent and athletic ability, sports come easy to some.

What made Love extraordinary went far beyond his gifts on the basketball court. It was his ability to overcome misfortune, use it to help motivate others, and make everyone around him better.

Those are the sports stars, legends, we should view as role models.

Rest in peace, Bob Love, hopefully we’ll meet at another time and place.