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It Happened In Jersey...
TRENTON'S WINTER OF LOVE
Bob Love, the future NBA All-Star, was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals in 1965 but was cut in training camp. He had the skills, but the Royals felt he didn’t have the body to survive playing forward in the pros. Cincinnati’s loss was Trenton’s gain, as Love signed to play with the Colonials of the Eastern Basketball League for the 1965–66 season. He made $50 a game and lived out of a room at the YMCA. Eastern League players worked regular jobs during the week and Love found a position at a nearby hospital as the tallest dietary intern in history.
The Colonials played games on weekends and those games could get rough. Love shared front-line duties with Walter Dukes and learned how to hold his own against beefier opponents. George Lehmann, a great outside shooter, helped stretch enemy defenses. Trenton was a handful. Love averaged over 22 points and 15 rebounds a game and was an easy choice for Rookie of the Year. Trenton battled Wilmington down to the wire before finishing second. Love returned to the Royals the following fall and made the team.
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