Zach LaVine Speaks: Boylen’s Effort, Being Left Out of the Restart, New Front Office, Social Justice, More

Zach LaVine hasn’t shied away from an interview over the past several months, but this is the first time in awhile he’s taken time to speak with Chicago media about some of the ongoing change within the organization.

Let’s take a look at what the guy had to say:

•   We’ve heard a lot about how collaborative both Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley like to be, and according to LaVine, it’s not all talk. During his conversation with the media on Monday, LaVine said he’s spoken with both Karnisovas and Eversley numerous times, and Karnisovas, specifically, has been picking his brain on what the organization has to do better.

•   While LaVine may not be the bonafide star this team needs to take the next major competitive step, he’s still the designated No. 1 player for the time being. Not to mention, the guy is still only 25-years-old with plenty of potential left in the tank. I would consider him one of the most important voices to hear from on the player-side, and if Eversley is set on being the player-first organization to which he often references, this feels like a great way to start. Plus, we all know LaVine isn’t going to sit back and let the Jim Boylen nonsense go undiscussed. A number of players have reportedly spoken out against the head coach, but I have to imagine LaVine has been at the front of the line. I mean, just read what he told reporters about Boylen earlier today:

•   As always, LaVine is carrying himself with a sense of professionalism … but does that sound like a guy who wants to be anywhere near Boylen ever again? Not really. Saying nobody “tries to fail” is just a much nicer way of saying “Oh, that dude? He’s trying, but failing.” I sincerely believe these players saw the passion and care from Boylen, but they also clearly saw the ineptitude when it came to head coach duties.

•   LaVine continued to tell it like it is when asked about the Bulls season officially coming to an end yesterday when the league approved a plan that kept Chicago out of the Orlando bubble:

•   Someone bottle up this energy and pour it in the Gatorade cooler before every game next season. I don’t want frustrated players, I want fed-up players. I want guys on the court next season that can’t stand the continuous losing, and sometimes it can take longer for young players who’ve never experienced winning at the NBA level to tap into that emotion. LaVine hasn’t gone through a single winning season over his six seasons in the NBA, and it’s clear he’s not ready to go through another.

•   Relatedly, whenever LaVine has done an interview over the course of this nearly three-month hiatus, he’s talked about leadership. The guy seems prepared to take the next step toward becoming a true on-court leader, whether I think he’ll accomplish that is a different story, but I’m a fan of the continued message.

•   Ah, here’s a pretty telling quote about the past regime …

•   Of course, LaVine also opened up about the country’s current fight against systemic racism. He said Arturas Karnisovas held a zoom meeting with the team to talk about the death of George Floyd and reiterated some of the comments he made at a rally yesterday in Seattle.

•   Just a reminder, throughout this hiatus, LaVine hasn’t shied away from doing what’s right. He’s donated tens of thousands of meals to front line workers fighting the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as thousands of headphones to local Chicago schools. I commend the guy for continuing to make his voice heard and representing this organization well during a tough time.

written by

Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

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