The city of Chicago is set to host the 2020 NBA All-Star Game for the first time since 1988. This February, the league’s best players will descend on the city and the United Center for a week full of activities on and off the court.
Among the activities leading up to Sunday night’s game are the annual 3-point shootout, Rising Stars Challenge and Slam Dunk Contest. The Bulls should be represented in the Rising Stars challenge as I imagine Wendell Carter Jr. and Coby White will be part of the team. But what about the others?
Well, it’s been rumored that two-time Slam Dunk Contest winner Zach Lavine would return for the first time since 2017 to participate. On Monday, LaVine updated his status for the event admitting he was invited to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest but hasn’t made a decision yet. He even added he’d be more inclined to do it if he was selected to play in the NBA All-Star Game:
Zach LaVine has been invited to participate in this year’s dunk contest in Chicago, but hasn't made a decision, per sources. He is more likely to participate if he makes the ASG. He was 5th for guards on East's first fan voting with a career-best 23.8 ppg and 39.8% from 3.
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) January 6, 2020
Further more, Bulls insider K.C. Johnson added that he thinks LaVine would participate in the 3-point shootout rather than the Slam Dunk Contest. Here is what Johnson said Monday afternoon, a few hours after the Woodyard tweet:
FWIW, my guess after talking to him at length just now, Zach LaVine will do 3-point contest at All-Star weekend and not dunk contest. LaVine said he has not yet been invited to 3-point shootout but laughingly pointed out he’s shouting 40% with 113 makes.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 7, 2020
LaVine: "I don’t think anyone has won a dunk contest and a 3-point contest. So I’ll try that one out. I would love to.”
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 7, 2020
LaVine is shooting 40 percent from the three-point line this season, averaging 3.1 three-pointers made so far this season. Overall, he’s shooting 43 percent from the field while averaging 23.8 points per game which is almost identical to the 23.7 points last season.
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