Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine was a guest on ESPN’s First Take last Friday and things got a little awkward for the high-flyer, something his teammate Lauri Markkanen is aware of.
Bulls fans started chanting, “FireGarPax” when LaVine was asked a question about whether he trusts Bulls VP John Paxson to build a winner in Chicago. All LaVine could do was smile and laugh.
Markkanen was asked about the incident during an interview with The Ringer:
I asked whether he had watched LaVine’s appearance on ESPN, whether he had heard the chants of “Fire GarPax!” on national TV.
“Yes,” Markkanen said, “that was forwarded to me.” He shook his head and laughed. “They put Zach in a tough position, though.”
The Bulls went 19-36 in the first half of the season. They are in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings.
LaVine has firmly established himself as one of the best scorers in the league despite the Bulls’ issues. He’s averaging 25.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 44.8 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from beyond the arc and 82.4 percent from the free-throw line.
The Bulls open the second half of the season at home against the Charlotte Hornets. Markkanen is still out with his right pelvis injury. He's appeared in 46 games for the Bulls this season and is averaging 15.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 42.4 percent from the field, 34.4 percent from beyond the arc and 82.6 percent from the free-throw line.