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[Saba Sports News] Former NBA player Stan Love, father of Miami Heat star Kevin Love, has passed away.
Stan Love died after a long battle with an undisclosed illness. He was 76 years old.
Kevin Love announced the heartbreaking news on Sunday in an emotional Instagram post, offering a glimpse into the deep bond he shared with his father, whom he called his “protector” and “first hero” (profanity edited).
“Dad, you fought for a long time,” Kevin wrote. “The hardest stretch being these past 6 months. The most painful to witness being these last few weeks. And even at the end as you continued to deteriorate — I still saw you as a Giant. My Protector. My first Hero.
“… As the memories stream down my face I feel as if I can see it all so clearly now. It’s a messed-up fact of life that towards the end, your own life or someone else’s, things that once seemed so complicated and confusing now seem transparent.”
Kevin Love had been away from the Heat for several weeks due to what the team listed as “personal reasons,” missing the final 20 games of the regular season to be with his father.
Stan Love, a 6-foot-9 power forward like his son, was selected ninth overall by the Baltimore Bullets in the 1971 NBA Draft out of Oregon. He played two seasons with the Bullets before spending another two with the Los Angeles Lakers. Love also had a brief stint in the ABA with the San Antonio Spurs.
Across 227 career NBA games, Stan Love averaged 6.8 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 44.0% from the field.