With his long-term career uncertain, this NBA star made it to the Rose Bowl.
Former UCLA Bruins shooting goaltender Zach LaVine, now a two-time All-Star for the Chicago Bulls, visited his old playground last weekend, with his family in tow, to host his alma mater’s Spring Showcase football game in Pasadena’s Rose. Bowl, as revealed via UCLA Basketball’s official X account:
It’s refreshing to see LaVine appear in good spirits.
For a guy who just finished the second season of a five-year, $215. 2 million max contract, the 6-foot-5 winger has been seriously unhappy in the box for much of his recent tenure with the Bulls.
LaVine has played just 25 games for Chicago amid a foot injury and a potential industry request. His chemistry with the Bulls was fragile, as he heavily prioritized the ball game. Once LaVine got out, point guard Coby White started. began to thrive and his team began to win, bouncing back from a brutal 5-14 start to the season only to hover around an Array500 record at the end of the season (they finished at 39-43 and were seeded number nine in the East, but were eventually eliminated in the entry tournament).
His season ended after injuring his right foot in February, which at the time was expected to sideline him for 4 to six months, meaning he would not be back until August at the latest.
In his 25 healthy games, he averaged 19. 5 points on shooting margins of 452/. 349/. 854 (his worst production since 2017-18), 5. 2 rebounds, 3. 9 assists and 0. 8 steals per night. According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls are still hoping to knock LaVine down in an industry this offseason and make her their No. 1 focus. Their history of cumulative injuries and chemistry issues can make this difficult to achieve.
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