Zach LaVine Bio
Zachary Thomas LaVine, known professionally as Zach LaVine, is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Selected 13th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2014 NBA draft, he developed into one of the league’s most explosive scorers and a two-time Slam Dunk Contest champion during his rookie tenure. Across stops in Minnesota, Chicago, and Sacramento, he has earned two NBA All-Star selections and an Olympic gold medal with the United States.
Early Life and Background
Zachary Thomas LaVine was born on March 10, 1995, in Renton, Washington, a suburb southeast of Seattle. He grew up in an athletic household. His father, Paul LaVine, played American football professionally in the United States Football League (USFL) and the National Football League (NFL), and his mother, CJ LaVine, was a softball player. That family background shaped his early approach to competitive sports.
Around the age of five, LaVine developed an interest in basketball after watching Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan in the film Space Jam. He later became a fan of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and modeled his game after his childhood idols. He spent hours practicing in the family backyard, where his father had him repeatedly emulate the NBA’s Three-Point Shootout to build range and consistency.
LaVine attended Bothell High School in the Seattle suburb of Bothell, where he played point guard as the team’s primary ball handler. By his junior year he had grown to 6 feet 3 inches, and he routinely practiced dunking for hours after his shooting routine ended. As a senior he averaged 28.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, and was named the 2013 Associated Press Washington state player of the year and Washington Mr. Basketball.
Path to Basketball
On June 20, 2012, LaVine verbally committed to attending the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), to play for coach Ben Howland. After Howland was fired, he considered staying in state and attending the University of Washington, but he ultimately remained at UCLA to play for new head coach Steve Alford. LaVine had inherited a fondness for UCLA from his father, who grew up a fan of Bruins basketball in nearby San Bernardino, California.
LaVine started the 2013-14 season as UCLA’s sixth man, showcasing outside shooting and explosive dunks that drew comparisons to former Bruin Russell Westbrook. NBA draft analysts began ranking him as a high first-round prospect, with one ESPN.com projection placing him 10th overall. He averaged 9.4 points per game, the fourth-best mark on the team, and his 48 made three-pointers ranked second among UCLA freshmen in school history. He was voted to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, and on April 16, 2014, he declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his remaining eligibility.
Zach LaVine Career
Early Career (2014-2015)
Zachary Thomas LaVine was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 13th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft and signed his rookie scale contract on July 8, 2014. He played only 12 minutes over the first five games of the 2014-15 season before an ankle injury to starter Ricky Rubio opened the door to a larger role. LaVine moved into the starting point guard role, then returned to the bench when veteran Mo Williams took over, before reclaiming the starting spot after Williams was sidelined by back spasms. On December 6 against the San Antonio Spurs, he recorded 22 points and 10 assists for his first career double-double.
LaVine won the Slam Dunk Contest during the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend, becoming the youngest champion since an 18-year-old Kobe Bryant in 1997. He recorded perfect scores of 50 on each of his first two dunks, the first player since Dwight Howard in 2009 to post multiple perfect scores in a single contest, and he beat future NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo. He finished his rookie year with averages of 10.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists across 77 games and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
Minnesota Timberwolves Breakthrough (2015-2017)
On October 21, 2015, Minnesota exercised its third-year team option on LaVine’s rookie-scale contract, extending the deal through the 2016-17 season. With Rubio sidelined in early November, LaVine took over the starting point guard role and scored a season-high 26 points on November 13 against the Indiana Pacers. He later topped that mark with 28 points against the Phoenix Suns on December 13. During the 2016 All-Star Weekend he scored 30 points for Team USA in the Rising Stars Challenge and earned Most Valuable Player honors. He also became the fourth player ever to win consecutive Slam Dunk Contests, with the final round against Aaron Gordon drawing comparisons to the iconic 1988 duel between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins.
On November 9, 2016, LaVine tied his then-career high with 37 points in a 123-107 win over the Orlando Magic. On December 23, he scored a then-career-high 40 points and tied a career best with seven three-pointers in a 109-105 loss against the Sacramento Kings. His season was cut short on February 4, 2017, when an MRI revealed a torn ACL in his left knee. He underwent successful reconstructive surgery ten days later, ruling him out for the remainder of the year.
Chicago Bulls Era (2017-2025)
On June 22, 2017, LaVine was traded, along with Kris Dunn and the rights to Lauri Markkanen, to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Jimmy Butler and the rights to Justin Patton. On January 13, 2018, in his first game in 11 months following ACL recovery, he scored 14 points in a 107-105 win over the Detroit Pistons. On July 8, 2018, the Bulls matched a four-year, $80 million offer sheet that Sacramento had extended to the restricted free agent. He opened the 2018-19 season with four straight 30-point games, scoring 32 points with two late free throws to lift the Bulls past the Charlotte Hornets 112-110 on October 24, and posted a then-career-high 41 points on November 5 against the New York Knicks.
On February 23, 2019, he scored a then-career-high 42 points in a 126-116 win over the Celtics. On March 1, he erupted for 47 points in a 168-161 quadruple-overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks, the third-highest-scoring game in NBA history. He led the Bulls with 1,492 points that season despite appearing in only 63 games. On November 23, 2019, he scored a then-career-high 49 points with 13 three-pointers, including the game-winning triple, in a 116-115 win over the Charlotte Hornets. He was named a reserve for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, the first Bulls selection since Jimmy Butler in 2017, and on April 9 he scored 50 points, 39 in the first half, in a loss to the Hawks, finishing the year with career highs of 27.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 41.9 percent shooting from three-point range.
After left knee surgery in May 2022, he re-signed with Chicago on a five-year maximum contract on July 7, 2022. On January 6, 2023, he scored 41 points on 14-of-19 shooting and 11-of-13 from beyond the arc in a 126-112 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, his fourth career game with at least 40 points on 70 percent shooting. On March 17, 2023, he and DeMar DeRozan combined for 88 points in a 139-131 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, setting a Bulls franchise record for points by a duo. On October 28, 2023, he set a career high with 51 points in a 118-102 loss to the Detroit Pistons, and in February 2024 the Bulls announced he would undergo season-ending surgery on his right foot. On November 29, 2024, he surpassed Kirk Hinrich as the all-time leader in three-pointers made in Bulls history.
Sacramento Kings Era (2025-Present)
On February 3, 2025, LaVine was traded, along with Sidy Cissoko, three first-round picks, and three second-round picks, to the Sacramento Kings in a three-team deal also involving the San Antonio Spurs. He made an immediate impact in the Kings’ rotation, and on February 24 he scored a season-high 42 points on 16-of-19 shooting and 8-of-9 from three-point range in a 130-88 win over the Charlotte Hornets, signaling a strong return to form after his foot recovery.
Notable Events and Milestones
Zachary Thomas LaVine is the fourth player in NBA history to win consecutive Slam Dunk Contests, joining a short list that includes Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. He is the Chicago Bulls’ all-time leader in made three-pointers, and his 51-point career high against Detroit stands as the top individual scoring performance of his career. He was also part of the United States team that won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Zach LaVine Career Wins
Across his NBA career, Zachary Thomas LaVine has built a reputation as an elite scorer and one of the league’s most electrifying dunkers. His trophy case includes two NBA Slam Dunk Contest titles, two NBA All-Star selections with Chicago, and an Olympic gold medal won with the United States in Tokyo. He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2015.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his NBA accolades, LaVine won the slam dunk contest at the Ballislife All-American Game during his senior year of high school. He captured Rising Stars Challenge Most Valuable Player honors at the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend after scoring 30 points for Team USA, and he was part of the United States men’s basketball team that won the gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Zach LaVine Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Zachary Thomas LaVine comes from a deeply athletic family. His father, Paul LaVine, played American football professionally in the United States Football League and the National Football League, and his mother, CJ LaVine, was a softball player. Paul LaVine grew up a fan of UCLA Bruins basketball in San Bernardino, California, a connection that later influenced his son’s college choice.
Personal Life
In April 2020, LaVine became engaged to his longtime girlfriend. Their first child, a son named Saint Thomas Lavine, was born in August 2022. In March 2016, he made a guest appearance on an episode of the Disney XD television series Kirby Buckets.
2025 Season Performance
Zachary Thomas LaVine opened 2025 with the Sacramento Kings following his February 3 trade from Chicago, providing the team with a dynamic perimeter scorer and veteran playoff experience. He quickly re-established himself as a focal point of the offense, highlighted by a 42-point outburst on 16-of-19 shooting against the Charlotte Hornets on February 24. That performance signaled a strong return after his right foot surgery had limited him the previous season.
With Sacramento aiming to remain in the Western Conference playoff picture, LaVine’s three-point shooting and transition scoring are central to the team’s offensive identity. His ability to create offense off the dribble gives the Kings a secondary shot creator alongside their established core, and his track record of high-volume scoring nights offers a reliable option in close late-game situations. As the season progresses, his health and rhythm will be central factors in Sacramento’s push for a postseason berth.