Zach LaVine: Career-best NBA season crowned with All-Star debut

The game will be played in Atlanta on 7 March

Bella Butler
Sunday 07 March 2021 18:51 EST
Comments
Chicago Bulls player Zach LaVine
Chicago Bulls player Zach LaVine (Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Zach LaVine’s best-ever season has been rewarded with a first-time All-Star selection.

Back in college, LaVine played for the UCLA Bruins where he was one of the top freshmen in the Pac-12 Conference.

He was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 13th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft.

As a rookie with Minnesota, LaVine won the league’s Slam Dunk contest and in 2016, became the fourth NBA player to ever win consecutive dunk contests.

In 2017, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Jimmy Butler and the rights to Justin Patton.

The 25-year-old has enjoyed a fine season for the Bulls and is averaging career highs in scoring (28.7 points per game), assists (5.1 per game), field goal percentage (.525) and a spike in his three-point shooting percentage, up to .435, compared to his career average of .384, per Basketball Reference.

Read more: LeBron James hits back at Zlatan Ibrahimovic

LaVine made his first All-Star selection this year and is the first Bulls player selected since Jimmy Butler in 2017, entering in as a reserve.

At 6ft 5in and 200lbs, LaVine will also be featuring in the 3-Point Contest alongside Stephen Curry, where his career-high 3.5 three-pointers per game will be put to the test against arguably the greatest shooter of all time. LaVine has made the fifth most three-pointers in the NBA this season (120), with Curry out in front on 169 and Damian Lillard second with 138.

Read more: Zion Williamson makes first NBA All-Star appearance

The game will be played in Atlanta on 7 March.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in