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Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine is already using fist-bumps after the NBA memo about the coronavirus.
LaVine won't play against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday because of a quad injury. The Athletic's Darnell Mayberry noticed that the high-flyer was limping and using fist-bumps instead of high fives.
Just saw Zach LaVine walk into the locker room. Two takeaways: 1) he was walking gingerly, with a noticeable limp, 2) he was doling out fist-bumps instead of fives.
— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) March 3, 2020
Among the NBA’s short-term recommendations to teams in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak is for players to utilize fist-bumps over high-fives with fans. The league also recommended to avoid taking items such as pens, balls and jerseys to autograph, according to a memo to teams obtained by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe.
Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard CJ McCollum tweeted over the weekend he was taking a break from signing autographs for now because of the coronavirus.
LaVine tweaked his quad on Saturday before the Bulls' matchup against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. He still played against the Knicks, but he was riding a stationary bike during his breaks. LaVine played 38 minutes versus New York and finished with 26 points, three rebounds and seven assists.
LaVine is averaging 25.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists on the season. He’s shooting 45.0 percent from the field, 38.0 percent from beyond the arc and 80.2 percent from the free-throw line.
The Bulls are still sort of alive in the playoff picture, mostly because the back half of the Eastern Conference is so bad. Chicago hasn’t made the playoffs since trading Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves on draft night back in 2017 for LaVine, Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn.
While Zach LaVine has established himself as one of the best scorers in the game, the book is still open on Markkanen and Dunn who are both on the shelf at the moment.
