Zach LaVine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Zach LaVine

LaVine at the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend
No. 8 – Chicago Bulls
Shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(1995-03-10) March 10, 1995 (age 30) Renton, Washington, U.S.
High school	Bothell (Bothell, Washington)
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
College	UCLA (2013–2014)
NBA Draft	2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 13th overall
Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves
Pro career	2014–present
League	NBA
Career history
2014–2017	Minnesota Timberwolves
2017–present	Chicago Bulls
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA All-Star (2021, 2022) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2015) 2× NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (2015, 2016) Pac-12 All-Freshman Team (2014) First-team Parade All-American (2013) AP Washington Player of the Year (2013) Washington Mr. Basketball (2013)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2020 Tokyo Team

Zachary Thomas LaVine (born March 10, 1995) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Minnesota Timberwolves chose him as the 13th pick in the 2014 NBA draft. Zach LaVine is famous for winning the Slam Dunk Contest twice. He was also chosen as an NBA All-Star in 2021 and 2022. In 2020, he won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team in Tokyo.

LaVine grew up in the Seattle area. There, he was named the best high school player in his state. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. After one year at UCLA, he joined the NBA. He was considered one of the top new players in the Pac-12 Conference. As a new player with Minnesota, LaVine won the Slam Dunk Contest. He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In 2016, he became only the fourth NBA player to win the dunk contest two years in a row. He was traded to Chicago in 2017.

Zach LaVine's Early Life and Basketball Start

Zach LaVine was born in Renton, Washington, near Seattle, Washington. His parents were both athletes. His dad, Paul, played American football professionally. His mom, CJ, was a softball player. When Zach was about five, he loved basketball after watching Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan in the movie Space Jam. Later, he also looked up to Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. He tried to play like his childhood heroes.

Zach practiced basketball in his family's backyard. His dad made him practice shooting three-pointers over and over. Zach went to Bothell High School in Bothell, Washington. He played point guard and was the main ball handler for his team. By his junior year, he was 6 feet 3 inches tall. He would practice dunking for hours in his backyard.

In his senior year, he scored 28.5 points per game. He also had 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He was named the 2013 Associated Press Washington state player of the year. He also won Washington Mr. Basketball. Nationally, he was a first-team Parade All-American. He played in the Ballislife All-American Game and won its slam dunk contest. Experts like Rivals.com saw LaVine as a top player. They listed him as the No. 12 shooting guard and the No. 44 player in the nation in 2013.

College Basketball Career at UCLA

On June 20, 2012, Zach LaVine decided to go to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He planned to play for coach Ben Howland for the 2013 season. Nine months later, Coach Howland was fired. LaVine thought about staying in Washington and going to the University of Washington. But he decided to stay with UCLA and their new coach, Steve Alford. LaVine had always liked UCLA because his dad grew up a fan of Bruins basketball in California.

LaVine shooting against Stanford in 2014

Zach started the 2013–14 season very well. He was the team's sixth man, coming off the bench. He showed great outside shooting and amazing dunks. This reminded people of former Bruin Russell Westbrook when he started at UCLA. Experts who predict NBA draft picks started to rank LaVine high. They thought he might join the NBA early. ESPN.com expert Chad Ford said LaVine was appealing because he was like Westbrook. At one point, Ford thought LaVine could be the 10th pick. NBADraft.net even ranked him fifth.

During the season, LaVine usually entered the game with coach Alford's son, Bryce Alford. Bryce often handled the ball. The main player who passed the ball was Kyle Anderson. For six games starting January 26, 2014, LaVine struggled with his shooting. He only made 7 out of 36 shots. He averaged 9.4 points per game that season, which was fourth best on the team. His 48 three-point field goals were the second most by a new player in the school's history. However, LaVine did not score 10 points or more in 14 of the last 18 games. He only scored 11 points and missed all 8 of his three-point attempts in the last five games. Even with these struggles, he was voted to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. He and Bryce Alford were named the team's most valuable new players.

On April 16, 2014, he decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he gave up his last three years of college eligibility.

Zach LaVine's Professional Basketball Career

Playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves (2014–2017)

The Minnesota Timberwolves chose Zach LaVine as the 13th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He signed his first contract with the team on July 8, 2014. In his first five games of the 2014–15 season, LaVine played only 12 minutes in total. When starting player Ricky Rubio was injured, LaVine became the starting point guard. He played over veteran Mo Williams. LaVine became a starter again when Williams had back problems. On December 6, against the San Antonio Spurs, LaVine scored 22 points and had 10 assists. This was his first double-double (scoring double digits in two different stats).

Rubio came back in February 2015. This meant LaVine played less. But Williams was traded that month, which gave LaVine more chances to play. LaVine won the Slam Dunk Contest during the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend. He was the youngest champion since Kobe Bryant won in 1997 at age 18. He got a perfect score of 50 on his first two dunks. He was the first player since Dwight Howard in 2009 to get perfect scores on multiple dunks. He beat future NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. LaVine also played in the Rising Stars Challenge that weekend. On April 11, LaVine scored a season-high 37 points and had nine rebounds. This was in a game they lost to the Golden State Warriors. For the season, LaVine played in 77 games and started 40. He averaged 10.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. He shot 42.2 percent overall and 34.1 percent on three-pointers. He was later named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

LaVine (middle) defending against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016

On October 21, 2015, the Timberwolves decided to keep LaVine for a third year. This extended his contract through the 2016–17 season. When Ricky Rubio was out in early November, LaVine became the starting point guard. He used the extra playing time well. On November 13, he scored a season-high 26 points in a loss to the Indiana Pacers. He then scored 28 points on December 13 in a loss to the Phoenix Suns. During the 2016 All-Star Weekend, LaVine scored 30 points for Team USA in the Rising Stars Challenge. He won the MVP award for that game. He also became the fourth player ever to win the Slam Dunk Contest two years in a row. The final round of the contest, which had two tie-breakers with Aaron Gordon, was compared to the famous contest between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins in 1988.

On October 24, 2016, the Timberwolves decided to keep LaVine for a fourth year. This extended his contract through the 2017–18 season. On November 9, he tied his career high with 37 points. This was in a 123–107 win over the Orlando Magic. On December 23, he scored a new career high of 40 points. He also tied his career best with seven three-pointers. This was in a 109–105 loss against the Sacramento Kings. On February 4, 2017, LaVine was out for the rest of the season. An MRI showed he had a torn ACL in his left knee. Ten days later, he had successful surgery to fix his knee.

Joining the Chicago Bulls (2017–Present)

First Seasons and Big Breakthrough (2017–2020)

On June 22, 2017, LaVine was traded to the Chicago Bulls. He went with Kris Dunn and the rights to Lauri Markkanen (the 7th pick in the 2017 NBA draft). In return, the Bulls sent Jimmy Butler and the rights to Justin Patton to Minnesota.

On January 13, 2018, LaVine played his first game in 11 months. He scored 14 points in the Bulls' 107–105 win over the Detroit Pistons. On February 9, he scored a season-high 35 points in a 114–113 win against his old team, the Minnesota Timberwolves.

On July 6, 2018, LaVine, who was a restricted free agent, received an offer from the Sacramento Kings. It was for four years and $80 million. Two days later, the Bulls decided to match the offer. This meant LaVine stayed with the Bulls. LaVine scored at least 30 points in the first three games of the season. He became only the third Bulls player to do this, after Michael Jordan (1986) and Bob Love (1971). On October 24, he made two free throws with 0.5 seconds left. This helped the Bulls win 112–110 against the Charlotte Hornets. He finished with 32 points, making it his fourth straight game with 30 points or more to start the season.

On November 5, he scored a new career-high of 41 points. He also made the game-winning free throw with 0.2 seconds left. The Bulls beat the New York Knicks 116–115 in double overtime. On November 10, he scored 24 points in a 99–98 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. This meant he scored 20 or more points in all 13 of Chicago's games to start the season. It was also a career-high 14 straight games overall, including his last game of 2017–18. The last Bulls player to score 20-plus points in 14 games in a row was Jimmy Butler in 2016. He scored 26 points against the Dallas Mavericks on November 12, making it 15 straight games. His streak ended with a 10-point game on November 14 against the Boston Celtics. On December 26, after missing five games with a sprained left ankle, LaVine scored 28 points in 26 minutes off the bench. This was in a 119–94 loss to the Timberwolves.

On February 23, 2019, he scored a new career-high of 42 points. This was in a 126–116 win over the Celtics. On March 1, he scored 47 points in a 168–161 quadruple-overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks. This was the third-highest-scoring game in NBA history. On March 6, he scored 39 points and made the winning layup in the final seconds. This helped the Bulls win 108–107 over the Philadelphia 76ers. LaVine missed the end of the season due to right leg injuries. He led the Bulls in total points scored that season with 1,492 points, even though he only played in 63 games.

In the second game of the 2019–20 season, LaVine scored 37 points in a 110–102 win against the Memphis Grizzlies. On November 16, 2019, LaVine scored 36 points in a loss to the Brooklyn Nets. On November 23, LaVine scored a new career-high of 49 points. He made 13 three-point field goals, including the game-winning three-pointer. This helped defeat the Charlotte Hornets 116–115. On November 27, he had 36 points against Golden State. On January 25, 2020, LaVine recorded 44 points, ten rebounds, and eight assists. This was in a 118–106 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. On February 11, he scored 41 points on 15-of-21 shooting, including 8 three-pointers. He also had nine rebounds in a 126–114 loss to the Washington Wizards. On February 25, 2020, LaVine again scored 41 points in a 124–122 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was the top scorer in 42 of the 65 games played in the shortened season.

Becoming an All-Star and Playoff Appearances (2020–Present)

On February 10, LaVine scored a season-high 46 points with nine 3-pointers. This was in a 129–116 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. With a new head coach, Billy Donovan, and career-highs in scoring and shooting accuracy, he was named a reserve for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game on February 24, 2021. This was his first All-Star selection. He was the first Bulls player chosen since Jimmy Butler in 2017. In the 34th game of the season, LaVine had his 17th game scoring 30 points or more. On March 7, he played 28 minutes and scored 13 points during the All-Star game. On April 9, LaVine scored 39 of his then-career-high 50 points in the first half. This was in a 120–108 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. For the season, he averaged a career-high 27.4 points per game, which was seventh in the NBA. He also reached career highs in rebounds (5.0), assists (4.9), 3-point shooting (41.9%), overall field goal percentage (50.7%), and free throw percentage (84.9%).

On November 19, 2021, LaVine scored a season-high 36 points. This was in a 114–108 win on the road against the Denver Nuggets. On February 3, he was named a reserve for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. He had trouble with his knee during the season and missed 15 games. Still, he played in the most games since his ACL injury in 2017. The Bulls made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. This gave LaVine his first playoff appearance after eight seasons in the league. On April 24, during Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs, he had 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 13 assists. This was in a 95–119 loss against the reigning champions Milwaukee Bucks. The Bulls ended up losing to the Bucks in five games. On May 24, LaVine had surgery on his left knee. On July 7, LaVine signed a new five-year contract with the Bulls.

On December 4, 2022, LaVine recorded 41 points, eight rebounds, and four steals. This was in a 110–101 loss against the Sacramento Kings. On December 30, LaVine scored a season-high 43 points on 15-of-20 shooting. He also had six assists in a 132–118 win over the Detroit Pistons. On January 6, 2023, LaVine scored 41 points on 14-of-19 shooting and 11-of-13 from three-point range. This was in a 126–112 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. This was his fourth career game with at least 40 points on 70% shooting. He broke a tie with Scottie Pippen for the second most such games in Bulls history. On March 17, LaVine scored 39 points, while DeMar DeRozan scored 49 points. This was in a 139–131 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Their combined 88 points broke the previous Bulls record of 85 points by Michael Jordan and Horace Grant. This made it the most points scored by a duo in Bulls history.

On October 28, 2023, LaVine scored a career-high 51 points. This was in a 118–102 loss to the Detroit Pistons. In February 2024, the Chicago Bulls announced that LaVine would have surgery on his right foot. This surgery ended his season.

On November 29, 2024, LaVine scored 29 points in a 138–129 loss to the Boston Celtics. He also made his 1,051st three-pointer as a Bull. This meant he passed Kirk Hinrich to become the all-time leader in three-pointers made in Bulls franchise history.

Playing for Team USA in the Olympics

Zach LaVine was chosen to play for Team USA at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. The Olympics were moved to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He started one game and mostly played as the team's sixth man. He averaged 10.6 points per game. Before the gold medal game, he was second in assists. He played strong defense and was shooting a team-best 47% from three-point range. LaVine and Team USA won the Olympic gold medal in men's basketball.

Zach LaVine's Career Statistics

NBA Regular Season Stats

NBA Play-in Stats

NBA Playoff Stats

College Stats

Zach LaVine's Personal Life

In March 2016, Zach LaVine appeared as a guest star in an episode of the Disney XD TV show Kirby Buckets.

In April 2020, LaVine got engaged to his longtime girlfriend. Their first child, Saint Thomas Lavine, was born in August 2022.

See also

In Spanish: Zach LaVine para niños

• List of NBA single-game 3-point field goal leaders