How LaVine's thirst for winning, respect led to Bulls max originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Zach LaVine always has had his doubters, the ones who focus more on what he isn’t rather than what he is.
And what he is as of Friday's verbal agreement with the Chicago Bulls on a five-year max contract worth roughly $215 million is a very, very, very wealthy man.
But the contract moves beyond the monetary value. It gets into who LaVine is at his core and what drives him. He's someone who works to earn respect, win over doubters — and, well, win.
That all happened when LaVine overcame his label as merely an athletic dunker to become a bonafide scorer. That happened when LaVine tackled rehabilitation to overcome a torn ACL and regain his athleticism. That happened when LaVine turned what some viewed as an overpay the last time he hit free agency into a value contract.
And perhaps most important to LaVine, that happened when he earned his way onto the U.S. Olympic team and gained the trust of everyone from Gregg Popovich to Draymond Green to become a valuable cog in the gold-medal winning effort. Or when he put off a potential payday last summer to welcome roster upgrades that led to his first playoff appearance — and an appetite for more.
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In the lead-up to free agency, some speculation centered on LaVine being jealous of DeRozan and his emergence as a lead option. This, again, misrepresented LaVine and focused on what he isn’t rather than what he is.
What he is is a supremely confident and driven alpha who views himself as a superstar and wants to do whatever it takes to win — not disparage DeRozan, for whom he has great respect.
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That LaVine finished the post-All-Star break stretch of the season while essentially playing on one healthy knee speaks volumes about his competitiveness — and his belief and confidence in himself. Not all players on the precipice of unrestricted free agency and a $215 million payday would play through a sore knee that required an arthroscopic procedure at season’s end.
But LaVine did because he was headed to his first taste of postseason basketball and felt, even at less than 100 percent, he could contribute. And because he’s committed to this franchise, which repaid that commitment handsomely.
LaVine turned 27 in March. He’s a two-time All-Star who displayed defensive growth during his Olympics stint and in the early stages of last season before his knee acted up. He’s one of the most feared and seemingly effortless scorers in the league, one who has posted true shooting percentages over .600 in back-to-back seasons.
The Bulls are banking on this offensive production to continue while also counting on continued defensive focus and leadership. It’s this last role that will be a new look for LaVine.
He served as the face and voice of the franchise during the painful rebuild. Now, with the Bulls seemingly on the ascent, he will be counted on to not only produce on the court but lead it into perennial contention.
That’s the responsibility of a max player. And that’s what LaVine is now, even if he remains hungry.
You can’t view this unrestricted free agency without recalling what happened when LaVine entered restricted free agency in 2018. The Bulls let him set his market by signing a four-year, $78 million offer sheet with the Sacramento Kings.
When the Bulls almost immediately matched it, plenty of skeptics called it an overpay. LaVine turned it into a value contract.
Doing so with a max deal is a tall task. But LaVine has been doubted plenty before. Be careful doing so again.
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