(670 The Score) Bulls guard Zach LaVine has earned the recognition he has long sought.
LaVine on Tuesday evening was named an All-Star for the first time in his seven-year career, as NBA coaches selected him as one of the reserves for the annual showcase. For LaVine, the honor is meaningful in that it’s validation of the hard work he has put in to transform himself from being a young, raw athlete when he entered the NBA to being a spectacular, efficient scorer whose play also elevates that of his teammates.
"It means a lot," LaVine said on a Zoom call shortly after the announcement. "I’ve told you guys over the last couple years, I feel I’ve been playing at an All-Star level. But this year is a little different. I’ve been obviously trying the best I can to do whatever it takes to contribute to winning. I feel I’ve done a good job of helping us get to that eighth spot (in the East). I think that’s what my main focus was. So I think you enjoy the fruits of your labor when that comes in. It means a lot.
"It was going to be a matter of time. I’m just happy that the team success we have is a big part of that. This is one of the best years I’ve played obviously individually but team success-wise too. So it’s very fulfilling."
LaVine, who will turn 26 in March, is posting career-best marks of 28.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 51.8% shooting, 43.4% 3-point shooting and 86.4% free-throw shooting while playing in all 30 of Chicago’s games. LaVine’s scoring average ranks as the sixth-best in the NBA entering play Tuesday.
For the Bulls organization, LaVine’s selection is meaningful in that it’s a sign of developmental progress under the watch of first-year coach Billy Donovan and his staff. LaVine is the first Bulls player to be selected to the All-Star Game since Jimmy Butler in the 2016-’17 season. The Bulls then traded Butler to the Timberwolves in June 2017, acquiring LaVine as part of the package.
LaVine's professional career has been at times tumultuous since the Timberwolves selected him at No. 13 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. Donovan is the sixth head coach that LaVine has had in seven years, and he has never been a member of a winning team in the pro ranks. He also tore his ACL in early 2017, and the Bulls traded for him during a time in which he was rehabbing that injury. The adversity made this All-Star honor all the sweeter for LaVine.
After receiving news of his selection Tuesday evening, LaVine had a great deal of praise for his father, Paul, whom he cites as an inspiration and who helped mold LaVine's habits and work ethic. LaVine shared that his father nailed a hoop to a tree, measuring it out carefully at 10 feet high, to give the basket more stability in the rainy weather in the Seattle area, where LaVine grew up.
"He was the one that pushed me each and every day and continues to," LaVine said. "Even after a game I had where I'll have a good game, he'll still call me and tell me the things I didn't do right or could have gotten better at. So he's the one that's always been that driving force.
"It definitely is a journey and a process. Going back to even when I was little, it’s always been hard work. You fall, you get up. You can’t stay in the same place. You can’t have a poor-me mentality. I’ve always had a I’m going to show you mentality. It goes back to me and my dad being outside in the rain, shooting 500 shots with plastic garden gloves on to me hurting my knee and fighting back from that, being traded and now fighting to help my team get in the playoffs. It’s always a fight. And you always enjoy that. When you get some success and some recognition, it means a lot. I appreciate that. The process is definitely enjoyable."
Donovan called LaVine's play "unbelievable."
“He’s played like an All-Star all season, and he has really taken his play to another level," Donovan said in a statement. "I know how hard he works and what this recognition means to him. I am very happy for him and want to congratulate him on this very well-deserved honor.”
The All-Star Game will take place in Atlanta on March 7. Here's a look at the other reserves in each conference.
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.