Longtime college coach Jim Harrick almost had his trusted friend, Stan Love, for one of those psycho dads. Reason being, Stan had the conventional wisdom of every other ambitious parent: “I think my son is really good.” Only Stan here was different — the ninth pick in the 1971 NBA Draft, a former NBA player, including a season and a half with the Lakers. So when his son Kevin made it as an UCLA freshman, Kevin had an old-school game that featured outlet passes and low-post moves, the likes of which were last seen in the 70s when Bill Walton starred for the Bruins. But to a great extent, his father kind of backed off.
It was the 80s. Stan made early efforts but soon realized his son is a “self-starter” after watching him shoot jumper after jumper on his own, outside in the rain at their home Lake Oswego, Oregon. “My hands would be all dirty, I’d come in and make the floor all muddy,” the Heat power forward revealed before landing his 1st NBA contract in 2008. If not this, Love would hone his passing skills by upping his instinctive game with his dad, or partly by watching cable replays of Magic Johnson during the Los Angeles Lakers’ “Showtime” era. He had such singular attention towards getting UCLA its 12th national championship that he refused to have a girlfriend. He would often say, “I am a good kid and I’m not going to make any bad choices because I was raised right by my parents.” Fun was not an option, and from his coach Ben Howland to his teammate Russell Westbrook, Kevin remained unselfish to a fault.
Kevin remained so until he ultimately won his first championship in 2016 and beyond. Odd or no, he came to be known as the player who was willing to have mediocre stat seasons to do exactly what was needed to win. Just three months ago, Kevin honored his dad by wearing his 1968-1969 University of Oregon varsity jacket in his hometown of Portland… a career that saw one-year scoring record standing for 20 years, recorded the Ducks’ highest mark ever (27.3) in conference games. It was as if Kevin knew days with his father were numbered.
On Sunday, Stan, 76, breathed his last due to longstanding health issues at his home in Oregon. Kevin took to Instagram to share the news in a long tribute note. He wrote, “Dad, you fought for a long time. The hardest stretch has been these past 6 months. The most painful to witness being these last few weeks. Even at the end, as you continued to deteriorate, I still saw you as a Giant. My Protector. My first Hero.
“Your only wish was to be at home surrounded by your family when you took your dying breath. That breath came. And now it’s time to rest.” Joining the NBA community was a good friend and skiing star Lindsey Vonn. The simple but strong message read:
While he was famous in his right, Stan’s career was an off-shoot from his Southern Californian roots and their heavy pop music indulgence. Instead of shooting hoops, their living room had a cello, a harp, and a Steinway piano. “My mother pushed the arts. I watched opera at the Hollywood Bowl at age 12,” Stan would later say in a 2019 interview. So, it shouldn’t surprise you that, if not for his NBA career, Stan was best known as Mike Love’s brother, a founding member of the Beach Boys. Mike Love is now 84, but he’d still post, “My big younger brother, you called me the superstar, but to me you are the superstar!! You always had my back! I am blessed to be your brother.
“I will cherish our lives spent together, whether spoofing on each other or reliving memories. I know you’re on the big court now, pounding down 3’s; don’t foul out, bro.”
