With two Dunk Contest titles under his belt, LaVine was still looking to become the only player to also win the All-Star Weekend’s Three-Point Contest. That didn’t happen, as he was eliminated in the opening round with the lowest score.
CLEVELAND – Zach LaVine knew what he was chasing on Saturday night.
Now, he just doesn’t know how much longer that chase will go on.
Participating in the All-Star Weekend’s Three-Point Contest for the third-consecutive season, LaVine again fell short, this time eliminated in the first round with a dismal score of 14 – the lowest total of the night.
LaVine’s good friend Karl-Anthony Towns ended up being the winner, finishing with an impressive 29 points in the final round.
That meant LaVine’s quest to become the first NBA player to win the Slam Dunk Contest – he did that twice – and the Three-Point Contest again fell short.
Maybe for good?
“I don’t want to be the guy that’s in it each and every year and then wait until I win it on like the 10th attempt doing it,’’ LaVine said. “I just think the competition’s fun, especially if you’re in the All-Star Game and you’re here to compete, I think it’s a cool competition.’’
One idea he quickly crushed was any thought of someday returning to the Dunk Contest to reclaim his throne.
“I’m not gonna be in it again,’’ LaVine said. “I don’t have any dunks left.’’
Mr. Telephone Man
It didn’t take long for LaVine to reach out and already have a phone conversation with big man Tristan Thompson, even before the Bulls made the signing official Saturday night, releasing Alfonzo McKinnie to make room.
“It’s great,’’ LaVine said of the expected move. “I’ve talked to [Thompson]. I think he’s going to bring another championship-level guy where he’s been in these games before. He can help us in these situations. With AK [executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas] and [general manager] Marc [Eversley] obviously, they’re going for it. They trust in me, they trust in DeMar [DeRozan], they trust in this group, and it just means a lot going into the last year of my contract that they’re putting a team around us that can compete.’’
Fits like a glove
Jimmy Butler likes to joke that he still might be a Bull someday, but his current contract – signed through 2024-25 with Miami and a player option for 2025-26 – screams otherwise.
Then again, as the former Bulls All-Star pointed out, Miami’s culture fits him better than any place he’s previously been.
Considered the “bad cop’’ with the Bulls because of his tough-love leadership style, what upset the locker room in Chicago is embraced with the Heat.
“I never was the bad cop, I was just the truthful guy,’’ Butler said of his time with the Bulls. “The truth hurts sometimes.’’
What Butler really appreciated about the Heat culture is the vets all have the same goal in mind, and the younger players follow suit no matter how hard they’re pushed.
“It has been [the best fit], but everyone there knows where I’m coming from,’’ Butler added. “I just want to win and nobody takes anything personal. More than anything now, we’ve got Kyle [Lowry]. So Kyle is the one that comes in and is like, ‘Jimmy, shut-up, stop yelling, I got this.’ He can kind of mellow it out, and he does that for everybody.’’
The King
Butler wasn’t the only All-Star that teased about a return to his original team, as LeBron James reportedly said the door is “not closed’’ on a return to Cleveland.
Wherever James ends up it will come with one addition, as James said his last season in the league will be played with his son, Bronny.
Bronny James is currently the 43rd ranked high school prospect in the 2023 Class by ESPN.