Position: Guard
Birthday —— March 10, 1995
Age—— 27
Height/Weight —— 6’5″/200 Ibs.
Hometown —— Renton, Washington
High School —— Bothell High School
College —— UCLA
NBA Experience —— 8 Years
Draft—— Round 1, Pick 13, 2014
Professional Career
Minnesota Timberwolves— 2014-17
Rookie Season – 2014-15 Season
In the first five games of Zach Lavine’s NBA career, he played only 13 minutes off the bench. But due to a Ricky Rubio ankle injury, Lavine became the starting point guard. LaVine got more chances to shine during his rookie year when Mo Williams got a back injury later in the season. At the trade deadline, Mo Williams got traded to the Charlotte Hornets, which meant more minutes.
Lavine got the spotlight when he won the 2015 Slam Dunk Contest against Victor Oladipo in the final round with an overall score of 194 points. That includes two perfect 50 dunks to get passed the first round. He was first player since Dwight Howard in 2009 with multiple perfect dunks and was the youngest winner of the Dunk Contest since Kobe Bryant in 1997 at 18 years old. Zach LaVine also participated in the Rising Stars Challenge and got 13 points in a loss to Team World 121-112. He appeared in 77 games (40 Starts) and averaged 10.1 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in his rookie season.
Full 82 Game Season – 2015-16 Season
To begin his 2nd season, the Timberwolves exercised their third-year option on Lavine’s contract, which meant his contract would last until the 2016-17 season. Ricky Rubio went down in early November, and LaVine took the starting guard spot and had a significant increase in minutes. He got 17.3 points in 34.3 minutes as a starter in 33 games while getting only 11.8 points in 23.7 minutes off the bench. Lavine scored in double-digits in 60 games, and he played all 82 games, which is rare.
He won the Slam Dunk Contest for the second consecutive year, but this time against Aaron Gordon. The 2016 Dunk Contest was still considered the best Dunk Contest since Michael Jordan vs. Dominique Wilkins in 1988. He earned MVP honors in the Rising Stars game with 30 points in a 157-154 USA win against Team World. Lavine finished the season averaging 14 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 82 games.
Torn ACL – 2016-17 Season
Almost one year after the Timberwolves exercised his third year, Minnesota exercised his fourth year. Now his contract would end after the 2017-18 season. On December 23rd, he became the 15th Timberwolves player to score 40+ points with his career-high 40 points against the Sacramento Kings. LaVine’s season was cut short after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He started in 47 games and averaged 18.9 points, 3.0 assists, and 3.4 rebounds.
Chicago Bulls – 2017-Present
On June 22, 2017, the Chicago Bulls traded Jimmy Butler and Justin Patton (the 16th pick in the 2017 NBA draft) to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Zach Lavine, Kris Dunn, and Lauri Markkanen. This trade comes exactly one year after Derrick Rose got traded to the New York Knicks. Chicago not only traded up to the 7th pick to get Markkanen but also got the young star of Zach Lavine. Chicago officially began the rebuild.
In Lavine’s first game as a Bull on January 13, 2018, he got 14 points in a Bulls 107-105 win over the Detroit Pistons. Four weeks later, on February 13, he scored season-high 35 points in a 114-113 win in his first game against his old team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. He finished the season averaging 16.7 points, 3.0 assists, and 3.9 rebounds in 24 games in his first season as a Chicago Bull.
On July 6, 2018, the restricted free agent Zach LaVine received a four-year, $80 million offer sheet from the Sacramento Kings. Two days later, the Bulls exercised their right and matched the offer sheet extended to LaVine by the Kings. Zach Lavine became the man for the Bulls in his 2nd year in Chicago. He had clutch performances, including dropping 39 points, and made the game-winning layup with 1.6 seconds remaining against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Early in his Bulls career, one of his best performances included when he scored 47 points in a 168-161 4OT win over the Atlanta Hawks. Lavine would only appear in 63 games due to ankle injuries and leg injuries. He finished the season averaging 23.7 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds.
Lavine continued to make his mark on a rebuilding Bulls team. In the 2019-20 season, he scored 40+ points in 6 games. That includes his season-high 49 points, 13 three-pointers, and a game-winner to beat the Charlotte Hornets on November 23. He finished the shorten-season averaging 25.5 points, 4.2 assists, and 4.8 rebounds in 60 games. The Bulls did not play in the 2020 bubble.
With a new head coach to start the 2020-21 season, Billy Donavon, Lavine took another step forward by becoming an All-Star for the first time in his career. Since Jimmy Butler (2017), he was the first Bull to represent Chicago in the All-Star game. Lavine scored 13 points in 28 minutes as a reserve for Team Durant in the 2021 All-Star Game. Team Durant lost 170-150 to Team LeBron.
Chicago was in the playoff race until Lavine entered the COVID protocols on April 15. The Bulls missed the chance to play in the play-in tournament by two games. Lavine finished the season averaging 27.4 points, 4.9 assists, and 5.0 rebounds in 58 games.
First playoff Appearance – 2021-22
The 2021-22 season for Zach Lavine was unique since he was on a winning team (46-36) and made the playoffs for the first time in his career. Lavine only scored twice above 35 points. On November 19, 36 points in a 114-108 win against the Denver Nuggets. Then 39 points in a 126-109 loss against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 24. He appeared in his 2nd consecutive All-Star game. For most of the second half of the season, Lavine was out due to a left knee injury. But he played not 100% in the 2022 playoffs. He finished the season with averages of 24.4 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.6 rebounds in 67 games.
He got 18 points and 10 rebounds in his first playoff game but shot 6-19 in a 93-88 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. On April 26, Lavine entered the Health and Safety Protocols again and missed game 5. Chicago would lose the series in five games against the Bucks. Lavine finished the series averaging 19.3 points, 6.0 assists, and 5.3 rebounds.
Awards and Accolades
- 2× NBA All-Star (2021, 2022)
- NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2015)
- 2× NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (2015, 2016)
- Pac-12 All-Freshman Team (2014)
- Gold Medal (Tokyo 2020)
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