It was all love in the United Center on Wednesday. The Bulls' 126-113 victory over the Sacramento Kings not only advanced Chicago's record to a perfect 4-0, but it also served as a homecoming for former Bull Zach LaVine.
The 30-year-old guard spent nearly eight seasons with the team before he was traded to Sacramento last February. In his first return to the Windy City since the trade, in which the Bulls honored the two-time All-Star with a video board tribute, LaVine led all scorers with 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting.
"This felt like I came home," LaVine said after the game. "I love Chicago, I love you guys. Through ups and downs, I've grown my family here, I've had major moments, low points, I became a man here. I was very appreciative, but I think the love is reciprocal. It's something that isn't going to be like, 'okay, this happened and now it's over.' I'll always love Chicago and I love the guys over there."
LaVine came to Chicago via the Jimmy Butler trade in 2017. After playing in just 24 games in his first season with the team, the two-time Slam Dunk Contest Champion quickly rose to stardom. LaVine earned his first All-Star nod in 2021 with a career-high 27.4 points and 4.9 assists per game, as well as an average of five rebounds.
The arrivals of Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan the following spring and summer ushered in a new era of Bulls basketball. Chicago jumped out to a hot start to the 2021-22 season behind its new Big Three and Lonzo Ball, but injuries left many wondering how far the team would've gone otherwise.
Although they made the playoffs and went 46-36 — the franchise's best record in a season since 2014-15 — the Bulls were a first-round exit and haven't made the postseason since. DeRozan left for Sacramento via a sign-and-trade in 2024, LaVine was shipped off before the 2025 trade deadline and Ball was swapped in a 1-for-1 deal with Isaac Okoro. Only Vucevic, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Williams remain from that roster.
Still, it's an era that LaVine looks back on fondly. He has "ridden the roller coaster" of an NBA career, dealing with the ups and downs that have come along with his 12-year journey.
"I know I did a lot of good in Chicago, in the Bulls uniforms, in the community, as a person, as a teammate," LaVine reflected. "I know the good I did, I just wish I could've won more here. Sometimes, you do the best you can. None of us try to lose, I damn sure don't, but you play the cards that you're dealt and you play them to the best of your ability. I feel like I did that and I appreciate each and every moment that I had here. I'll continue to be a fan of this team and this organization, unless I'm playing against them. It's nothing but love from me. In my tenure here, I enjoyed every piece of it, and I won't forget that."
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