Zach LaVine to participate in Three Point Contest, not Dunk Contest
Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine is changing things up this All-Star Weekend.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Monday that LaVine will participate in the Three Point Contest. All-Star festivities are in Chicago this year, and with no Bulls making the All-Star team, LaVine’s inclusion in the competition will give the home fans an opportunity to cheer for one of their own players.
It is still an interesting turn of events however, as LaVine has competed in (and won) the Dunk Contest twice already. Orlando’s Aaron Gordon is also in the Dunk Contest this year, and LaVine’s participation would have let them run back their epic 2016 showdown as well as given LaVine a shot to tie Nate Robinson’s record of three career Dunk Contest victories.
The 24-year-old LaVine is no slouch from deep though — he is hitting 3.0 triples per game at a 37.6 percent clip this season and hit a near-NBA record 13 threes in a game against Charlotte in November.
While LaVine will always be one of the greatest Dunk Contest showmen ever, he has not competed since tearing his ACL in 2017, and a Three Point Contest bid might be a better use of his talents at this point.
