Raised in a supremely creative Southern California family immersed in pop music, Stan Love took a different path to fame, playing four years in the NBA — including two with the Lakers — after starring at Inglewood Morningside High and the University of Oregon.
When his playing career ended, the 6-foot-9, 215-pound Love remained close to his family. His brother, Mike Love, was a founding member of the Beach Boys, and Stan Love eventually became an essential adjunct to the band, serving as a human shield for his cousin, Brian Wilson, throughout the turbulent late 1970s and early ‘80s.