Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine was benched in the first quarter by head coach Jim Boylen against the Miami Heat during a game in November. LaVine said afterwards he was going to have a talk with Boylen.
LaVine and Boylen had a talk before their matchup against the Charlotte Hornets to clear the air, and the talk apparently worked.
LaVine not only broke the Bulls franchise record for most 3s in a game against the Hornets, but he also hit the game-winning shot in epic fashion, capping off his incredible 49-point night.
Basically, LaVine told Boylen to never bench him again with his actions. The high-flyer told Shams Charania of Stadium he “wanted to step up to the plate” after getting benched by Boylen (starts at 3:18 mark):
Sitdown with Bulls guard @ZachLaVine: Leadership using lessons from Kevin Garnett, Jamal Crawford and his father — 49-point Charlotte game — young Minnesota days to being No. 1 option — potential All-Star weekend plans.
pic.twitter.com/L2OE0mJT4f— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 16, 2020
The Bulls are terrible again, but Zach LaVine has firmly established himself as one of the best scorers in the NBA. He is averaging 24.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists on the season while shooting 44.0 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from beyond the arc and 82.8 percent from the free-throw line.
Basketball fans around the world are hoping LaVine does the Slam Dunk Contest this season since he’s one of the best dunkers in the NBA and the contest is in Chicago. LaVine, who is a two-time champion of the event, has completely recovered from the ACL tear he suffered during the 2016-17 season when he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 24-year-old can fly with ease and should probably compete and put on a show for Bulls and NBA fans as a whole.
More than three decades have passed since Bulls legend Michael Jordan defeated Dominique Wilkins in the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest in The Windy City. It would be cool to see LaVine put on a show at the United Center in February.
Follow Us
Subscribe