Profiles are back, as I promised. Today's profilee was the original playmaker in the NBA, a man who pioneered fancy passing and crowd-pleasing ball. He is a former league MVP and six-time NBA champion. He is Bob Cousy.

Bob Cousy was born August 9, 1928 in New York, New York. He was cut from his freshman team at Andrew Jackson High School in St. Albans, New York. As a senior, he led the school to the Queens division championship, and after not originally intending to go to college, he changed his mind and attended the College of the Holy Cross, where he was a member of an NCAA championship team as a freshman and a second-place finish in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). In addition, he was a three-time All-American despite not initially getting along with coach Alvin Julian. After graduating in 1950, Cousy was available in the 1950 NBA Draft. But the road to the Boston Celtics wasn't a straight path.

The Celtics were pressured by locals to take Cousy, but coach Red Auerbach refused and drafted Charlie Share, saying "I'm supposed to win. not draft local yokels!". Cousy was taken in the first round by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks (now the Atlanta Hawks), but didn't want to play so far away from home. His salary demands eventually forced the Blackhawks to trade him to the Chicago Stags. The Stags folded before the 1950-51 season, however, and Cousy was one of three Stag players available in a dispersal draft. Boston, choosing third, ended up with Cousy, upsetting Auerbach and owner Walter Brown, showing once again that those who should know, sometimes don't. Auerbach and Brown weren't upset for long.

Cousy had a solid rookie season, averaging 15.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG and 4.9 APG, helping the Celtics to their first winning season in franchise history (39-30) and earning the first of thirteen All-Star births (1951-63, with MVP awards in 1954 and 1957). Cousy proved to be the perfect guard for Auerbach's up-tempo attack. Cousy earned his first selection to the All-NBA 1st Team in his second season (he made nine other 1st Teams from 1953-61), and by 1952-53, he won the first of eight straight assists titles (7.7 APG that year). Cousy averaged over 20 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 7 APG each year from 1952-53 to 1955-56, and had one of the greatest scoring games in NBA playoff history in game 2 of the 1953 Eastern Division Semifinals against the Syracuse Nationals (today's Philadelphia 76ers) where he scored 50 points, including a NBA record 30 free throw attempts in a 111-105 in quadruple-overtime victory. Despite this, the Celtics never made the NBA Finals.

Then, in 1956, the Celtics landed three future Hall of Famers in the draft, including Bill Russell. In that 1956-57 season, Cousy won league MVP honors with averages of 20.6 PPG and 7.5 APG, piloting the Celtics to their first NBA title in a tense seven-game series over the St. Louis Hawks. Cousy had his two best assists seasons in 1958-59 and 1959-60, where his 715 assists were a league record until Oscar Robertson broke it in 1961-62. Cousy helped Boston win the league title in each of his final five seasons, and in 1962-63, he retired from the game at age 35. In his last home game, he was the guest of honor as the Boston Garden was packed with his fans. Cousy was speechless after an expected seven minute speech stretched to twenty minutes, before a fan screamed out "We love ya, Cooz!", prompting the crowd to erupt into cheers. He even received a call from President John F. Kennedy complimenting him.

Cousy retired into college coaching, leading Boston College to three NIT tournaments (including the 1969 title game) and three NCAA berths before returning to the NBA as coach of the Cincinnati Royals (Sacramento Kings) in 1969-70. Cousy feuded with Oscar Robertson during his first season, which saw Cousy even make a brief playing comeback, playing in seven late-season games. Cousy coached the team until he stepped down early in the 1973-74 season. Today, he is a marketing consultant with the Celtics, and does occasional appearences as a commentator on home games. Cousy finished with career marks of 16,960 points (18.4 PPG career) and 6,955 assists (7.5 APG; 13th all-time) and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970.

Season-by-Season Statistical Review:
1950-51: 69 GP, 15.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 4.9 APG, 35.2 FG%, 75.6 FT%
1951-52: 66 GP, 21.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 6.7 APG, 36.9 FG%, 80.8 FT%
1952-53: 71 GP, 19.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 7.7 APG, 35.2 FG%, 81.6 FT%
1953-54: 72 GP, 19.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 7.2 APG, 38.5 FG%, 78.7 FT%
1954-55: 71 GP, 21.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 7.8 APG, 39.7 FG%, 80.7 FT%
1955-56: 72 GP, 18.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 8.9 APG, 36.0 FG%, 84.4 FT%
1956-57: 64 GP, 20.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 7.5 APG, 37.8 FG%, 82.1 FT%
1957-58: 65 GP, 18.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 7.1 APG, 35.3 FG%, 85.0 FT%
1958-59: 65 GP, 20.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 8.6 APG, 38.4 FG%, 85.5 FT%
1959-60: 75 GP, 19.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 9.5 APG, 38.4 FG%, 79.2 FT%
1960-61: 76 GP, 18.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 7.7 APG, 37.1 FG%, 77.9 FT%
1961-62: 75 GP, 15.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 7.8 APG, 39.1 FG%, 75.4 FT%
1962-63: 76 GP, 13.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 6.8 APG, 39.7 FG%, 73.5 FT%
1963-64 to 1968-69: did not play (retired)
1969-70: 7 GP, 0.7 PPG, 0.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, 33.3 FG%, 1.000 FT%

Today is Valentine's Day. And in that mold, the Zone has decided to spread a little love in the air. Actually, it's a profile of one of the great players from the early history of the Chicago Bulls. He is Bob Love!

Bob Love was born December 8, 1942 in Bastrop, Louisiana. He starred at Morehouse High School in Bastrop, Love attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There, he became a two-time All-American (1963 and 1965). He was selected in the fourth round (29th player selected overall) in the 1965 NBA Draft by the Cincinnati Royals, but didn't make the team. He spent the 1965-66 season with the Eastern Basketball League, where he won their Rookie of the Year with a 25 PPG average.

One year later, Love tried out again with the Royals, and this time, he stuck. His two years in Cincinnati (as a reserve) produced only modest statistics; he averaged 6.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG during his tenure. After the 1967-68 season, Love was exposed and selected in the Expansion Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. Later that season, the Buck traded him to the Chicago Bulls, where he would begin to build a legacy as a high scorer as the Bulls began to become a contender in the Western Conference.

Love's first full season in Chicago (1969-70) saw him average over 20 PPG for the first of six straight seasons (career best of 25.8 PPG in 1971-72). He made the first of three All-Star teams in 1971 (he also made it in 1972 and 1973), and also averaged at least 6 RPG each year in Chicago. Love also was a solid defender, making the All-Defensive 2nd Team in 1974 and 1975. Love led the Bulls to the Western Conference Finals in 1975, the last time the team made the conference finals until 1989.

Love spent his final season on three teams, as the Bulls traded him to the New York Nets, who then sent him to the Seattle Supersonics, where he finished the 1976-77 season before retiring. For his career, he scored 13,895 points (17.6 PPG career) and grabbed 4,653 rebounds (5.9 RPG), and his number 10 was retired by the Bulls (the second one retired by the franchise).

Season-by-Season Statistical Review:
1966-67: 66 GP, 6.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.7 APG, 42.9 FG%, 63.3 FT%
1967-68: 72 GP, 6.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 0.8 APG, 42.4 FG%, 68.4 FT%
1968-69: 49 GP, 5.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.3 APG, 39.7 FG%, 74.0 FT%
1969-70: 82 GP, 21.0 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 46.6 FG%, 84.2 FT%
1970-71: 81 GP, 25.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 44.7 FG%, 82.9 FT%
1971-72: 79 GP, 25.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.6 APG, 44.2 FG%, 78.4 FT%
1972-73: 82 GP, 23.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 43.1 FG%, 82.4 FT%
1973-74: 82 GP, 21.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.6 APG, 41.7 FG%, 81.8 FT%
1974-75: 61 GP, 22.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 42.9 FG%, 83.0 FT%
1975-76: 76 GP, 19.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.9 APG, 39.0 FG%, 80.1 FT%
1976-77: 59 GP, 7.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 0.8 APG, 37.9 FG%, 82.6 FT%