Zach LaVine’s brief tenure in Minnesota helped establish the foundation for a career that has lasted more than a decade.
Zach LaVine spent only three seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the organization played a defining role in his development from an athletic prospect into a two-time NBA All-Star.
During an interview with HoopsHype’s Sam Yip, LaVine reflected on his early years in Minnesota as he prepares to enter his 13th NBA season.
LaVine was selected by the Timberwolves with the No. 13 pick in the 2014 NBA draft after one season at UCLA. He arrived as a raw 19-year-old known primarily for his athleticism, but Minnesota gave him the freedom to expand his game.
Jan 7, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; MinnesotaTimberwolvesguardZachLaVine(8) during a game between the MinnesotaTimberwolvesand Utah Jazz at Target Center. The Jazz defeated theTimberwolves94-92. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY SportsMinnesota provided his first opportunity
LaVine entered the league without a clearly defined position. The Timberwolves experimented with him at point guard, forcing him to learn how to organize an offense and make decisions with the ball.
The transition was not always smooth, but those responsibilities helped LaVine become more than a finisher.
His scoring average increased in each of his three seasons with Minnesota, rising from 10.1 points per game as a rookie to 18.9 points in 2016-17. He also improved as a shooter and ballhandler while playing alongside fellow young players Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns.
LaVine’s two Slam Dunk Contest victories made him one of the NBA’s most recognizable young players, but they also created a label he would spend years attempting to outgrow. He wanted to be viewed as a complete scorer rather than simply one of the league’s greatest dunkers.
A difficult ending led to another beginning
LaVine’s final season with the Timberwolves ended when he tore the ACL in his left knee in February 2017.
Minnesota traded him to the Chicago Bulls that summer as part of the package for Jimmy Butler. The move ended what once appeared to be a promising long-term partnership between LaVine, Wiggins and Towns.
LaVine recovered and eventually became an All-Star in Chicago during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. His ability to return from a serious injury and establish himself as a high-level scorer added weight to one of the central lessons he shared in the interview.
“It’s hard to make the NBA,” LaVine said. “It’s even harder to stay.”
Now with the Sacramento Kings, LaVine is coming off a difficult season in which a right hand injury limited him to 39 games. He averaged 19.2 points before undergoing season-ending surgery.
His career has included injuries, trades and persistent questions about winning, but his longevity supports his message. LaVine entered the league as an explosive teenager whose future depended on potential.
More than a decade later, his years in Minnesota remain the beginning of a career that proved he was always more than a dunker.
