Zach LaVine

LaVine grew up in an athletic family in Washington. His father, Paul LaVine, played professional American football in the USFL and NFL, while his mother, CJ (Cheryl Johnson-LaVine), played softball. He was raised in the Seattle area, practicing basketball in his backyard under the guidance of his father.

In April 2020, LaVine became engaged to his longtime partner, Hunter Mar, and the couple married in October 2021. They have two sons: Saint Thomas, born in August 2022, and Elijah, born in March 2024. Outside of basketball, LaVine made a television guest appearance in a March 2016 episode of the Disney XD series Kirby Buckets.

Born in Renton, Washington, LaVine attended Bothell High School, where he played as the primary ball-handling point guard. During his senior season, he averaged 28.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He received statewide recognition as the 2013 Associated Press Washington Player of the Year and Washington Mr. Basketball, while also being selected as a first-team Parade All-American and winning the dunk contest at the Ballislife All-American Game.

LaVine committed to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to play under head coach Steve Alford. During the 2013-14 season, he served as the Bruins' sixth man alongside freshman teammate Bryce Alford and starter Kyle Anderson, helping lead UCLA to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. LaVine averaged 9.4 points per game and made 48 three-pointers, earning Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honors before declaring for the NBA draft after his freshman year.

The Minnesota Timberwolves selected LaVine with the 13th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. During his rookie season, injuries to Ricky Rubio and Mo Williams elevated him into the starting lineup. During the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend, he won the Slam Dunk Contest, becoming the youngest champion since Kobe Bryant in 1997. He ended the season with averages of 10.1 points and 3.6 assists per game, earning a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

In 2016, LaVine captured MVP honors at the Rising Stars Challenge and successfully defended his Slam Dunk Contest crown in an extended duel against Aaron Gordon, becoming only the fourth player in NBA history to win consecutive dunk titles. During the 2016-17 season, he increased his scoring average to 18.9 points per game across 47 starts before suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in February 2017, which required reconstructive surgery.

In June 2017, the Timberwolves traded LaVine, Kris Dunn, and the draft rights to Lauri Markkanen to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Jimmy Butler and Justin Patton. After completing his knee rehabilitation, he debuted for the Bulls in January 2018. That summer, Chicago matched an offer sheet from the Sacramento Kings to retain him on a long-term contract.

LaVine developed into Chicago's primary offensive weapon over the following seasons. In the 2020-21 campaign, he averaged a career-best 27.4 points per game on 50.7 percent shooting and earned his first career NBA All-Star selection, making him the first Bulls player chosen since Butler in 2017. He repeated as an All-Star in 2022 and guided the Bulls to their first playoff berth in five years. On November 29, 2024, LaVine passed Kirk Hinrich to become the Bulls' all-time leader in three-point field goals made.

On February 3, 2025, LaVine was traded to the Sacramento Kings in a multi-team deal that also included the San Antonio Spurs. In his early tenure with Sacramento, he produced high-scoring performances, including a 42-point outing against the Charlotte Hornets, before being sidelined by a tendon injury in his right hand in February 2026.

Internationally, LaVine represented the United States men's national basketball team at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, held in 2021. Playing primarily as the team's sixth man, he averaged 10.6 points per game and shot 47 percent from three-point range, helping Team USA capture the Olympic gold medal.