The moment a lot of Chicago Bulls fans were waiting for arrived on the night of Feb. 24. The Bulls nabbed their first All-Star selection in more than three years with star shooting guard Zach LaVine getting the nod. And the last time that the Bulls had an All-Star selection was back during the 2016-17 campaign, when former star shooting guard/small forward Jimmy Butler got the nod.
This Bulls franchise has the tendency to get a flood of All-Star selections all at once and then go through long droughts without one. That was best exemplified when the Bulls had a multitude of All-Star selections throughout the 1990’s, between the likes of all-time great shooting guard Michael Jordan, Hall-of-Fame forward Scottie Pippen, fellow Hall-of-Famer Dennis Rodman, etc.
Then it wasn’t until the early 2010’s that the Bulls got their first All-Star nod since 1998 with former superstar point guard and 2010-11 NBA MVP Derrick Rose getting the call. While that was a much longer drought from 1998-2010 that the franchise went without an All-Star nod than they had now, this shows how this pattern tends to go throughout Bulls history.
Moreover, it will be a lot of fun to see what LaVine is able to do representing the Bulls during All-Star Weekend this year. LaVine could very well be representing the Bulls in more than just the All-Star Game too. He participated in the 3-Point Shootout last year when All-Star Weekend was hosted at the United Center in Chicago, and he’s potentially the best in-game dunker in the league right now.
Chicago Bulls star and the Slam Dunk Contest
But apparently LaVine would be more interested in participating in the 3-Point Shootout than he would the Slam Dunk Contest this year. Given his electric dunking ability and insane athleticism, it would be fun to see LaVine participate in the Slam Dunk Contest this year. But it would also be a lot of fun to see him show off his improved shooting from deep in the 3-Point Shootout for the second straight year.
Zach LaVine said “he probably won’t do the dunk contest.” May do 3-point if asked.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 24, 2021
It really doesn’t sound like LaVine is interested in doing the Slam Dunk Contest again, which is a shame. It’s not just Bulls fans that would want to see him compete in the Slam Dunk Contest this year, the entirety of NBA fans should want to witness that.
Yet, Bulls fans can’t complain about the type of season LaVine is having, along with getting their first All-Star selection in four years. To get to this point, LaVine averaged 28.6 points per game, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks, in 30 games played this season.
And he’s shot a very efficient 51.8 percent from the field, 43.8 percent from beyond the arc, and 86.4 percent from the free-throw line.
LaVine and the Bulls currently sport a record of 14-16, following their convincing road win over the Houston Rockets back on Feb. 22. Next up for the Bulls is a meeting with the Minnesota Timberwolves at home at the United Center on Feb. 24. And the All-Star Game itself is set to take place on March 7.