In eight seasons with the Chicago Bulls, Zach LaVine never reached the heights he hoped to summit in the postseason. But the two-time All-Star shooting guard leaves with his name stamped all over the franchise record books — and with close to a decade of memories.
Here’s a look back, by the numbers, at LaVine’s time in Chicago:
1
LaVine’s ranking in franchise history in 3-pointers. He made 1,130 as a Bull, surpassing Kirk Hinrich (1,049) during a Dec. 1 loss to the Boston Celtics. Coby White is third on the list with 899 3-pointers.
2
All-Star selections for LaVine, who earned his first as a reserve in 2021 in the midst of a career-best season, in which he averaged 27.4 points and 4.9 assists. He was the first Bulls player selected to an All-Star team since Jimmy Butler in 2017. LaVine recorded his first 50-point game later that season in an April loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
The Lakers’ LeBron James looks to score as the Bulls’ Zach LaVine defends during the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 20, 2022, in Cleveland. (Ron Schwane/AP)
LaVine was selected as a reserve again the following season after the Bulls climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. He represented them alongside teammate DeMar DeRozan — who was selected as a starter — at the All-Star Game in Cleveland.
4
Playoff games LaVine appeared in as a Bull. The team made the playoffs only once in LaVine’s tenure, facing the Milwaukee Bucks in 2022 as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. After the Bulls dropped three of the first four games, LaVine was sidelined for the final game of the series with COVID-19 and watched from home in quarantine as the Bulls were eliminated.
Those are the only four playoff games of LaVine’s NBA career. He averaged 19.3 points and six assists.
6
LaVine’s ranking in franchise history in scoring with 10,056 points (24.2 per game). He trails Michael Jordan (29,277), Scottie Pippen (15,123), Bob Love (12,623), Luol Deng (10,286) and Jerry Sloan (10,233).
Efficiency was a hallmark of LaVine’s tenure in Chicago. He ranks third in points per game, surpassed by only Jordan (31.5) and DeMar DeRozan (25.5).
8
Seasons LaVine played for the Bulls, during which he started in 413 of the 416 games he played. He shot 47.4% from the field and 39% from 3-point range and averaged 4.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists in addition to his 24.2 points per game.
Zach LaVine poses with his gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Aug. 7, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Perhaps his greatest accomplishment in that time, however, was achieved in a different jersey — winning an Olympic gold medal in 2021 in Tokyo. LaVine found a new version of his game during his tenure with the U.S. national team, committing to improving his defense and rounding out his game to help the Americans win their fourth consecutive gold. He averaged 9.7 points and 3.3 assists and shot 60% from the field and 45.5% from 3-point range in six games.
