Stan Love, who played four seasons in the NBA but may be better known as the father of Kevin Love, has died at the age of 76. Kevin announced the passing Sunday on Instagram:
“The best last lesson one generation can teach the next: how to die with peace about how you’ve lived. This may be my Dad’s greatest gift. Teaching me that healing happens in your soul and that healing is there for the taking, even in the face of imminent death. Dad loved his family unconditionally and left his children with one of life’s great lessons…
“Dad, I’m so proud to be your son. My only hope is that you’re proud of me. It was all I ever wanted. Thank you for everything.”
Stan Love was born April 9, 1949, in Los Angeles, and went on to play his high school basketball at Morningside High School in Inglewood, 1.5 miles from the Forum where he would eventually play for the Lakers. Love went on to play his college ball at Oregon.
The Baltimore Bullets drafted Love with the ninth pick in the 1971 draft, yet he was never the most famous member of his family — his brother was Mike Love of the Beach Boys. Stan was traded to the Lakers in 1973, played a season with San Antonio in the ABA, and retired in 1975.
Kevin Love has been away from the Heat for most of the end of the season and postseason to be with his father and family. Love missed the Heat’s last 10 regular-season games, returned for the first play-in tournament game, where the Heat beat the Bulls, but then had to return to Oregon and has not been with the team throughout its series against Cleveland.
