NEWSLETTER
The best NBA players in the world aren’t just masters of the game, they’re master salesmen. Be it Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, or Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, player-on-player recruiting has clearly become a vital part of reshaping any franchise.
Fortunately, as the only player truly representing the Chicago Bulls during All-Star Weekend, Zach LaVine straightened his tie, cleared his throat, put on a smile … and got to work.
Here’s what the Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times reported last night (emphasis mine):
As bad as the Bulls’ situation appeared from the outside this All-Star Weekend, Zach LaVine remains dedicated to the cause. According to several sources, LaVine was doing his due diligence as a recruiter the last few days — a must for any player considered the face of his franchise. He’s still upbeat about the current roster and is shooting for a postseason berth even though the Bulls are 19-36, five games behind the No. 8 seed. “I mean, if you’re not confident in yourself or your team, you’ve already lost the battle,’’ LaVine said of a playoff push. “Obviously, I’m going out there to win.’’
For many Bulls fans, I expect the reaction to this will be a nice, hardy chuckle. I mean, after all, the idea of someone trying to sell the NBA’s best on a 19-36 Bulls team with reckless organizational leadership and an unqualified head coach is laughable.
However, I respect LaVine for his efforts. This is something that had to be done.
LaVine isn’t going to be the No. 1 option or face of the franchise that lifts the Bulls back to the promised land. However, for now, he’s all they’ve got. Instead of giving his franchise the cold shoulder, he’s going out there to at least try and set Chicago up for a better tomorrow. Who knows how much groundwork he actually accomplished, but it’s the effort that counts.
Of course, it’s easy to guess that, when it comes to recruiting, his words may have fallen on deaf ears, but perhaps his pitch isn’t as dismal as we’d expect. With rumors of potential front office changes taking over the weekend, I wouldn’t be surprised to see LaVine selling a new and improved Chicago Bulls in the very near-term. Plus, players around the NBA got to see firsthand how much the Windy City respects the game they play on the daily. If LaVine can tap into that atmosphere and start dropping seeds that the best is yet to come, it’s always possible a player or two might look this way in offseasons to come.
(Michael: If only we didn’t have the worst weather of the season this weekend ….)
Not to mention, as this tumultuous season has dragged on, LaVine has been the one constant. He hasn’t missed a game yet and is constantly trying to put this team on his back. All things considered, those are honorable qualities. Who’s to say other players in the NBA wouldn’t want to play alongside a scoring juggernaut like LaVine?
While my hopes aren’t high for future free agencies (especially because this upcoming market itself is a bit weak), I commend LaVine for doing his due diligence. The Bulls might have lost fans this season, but LaVine has gained several.
