Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls has many reasons to celebrate.
In fact, he has 215 million reasons.
The Bulls just announced that they signed LaVine to a five-year, $215 million contract extension.
This is a sign that Chicago has a lot of faith in LaVine, the work he’s been doing, and his ability to remain a centerpiece of the team for the foreseeable future.
Zach LaVine’s wife posted this picture on her Instagram. pic.twitter.com/2KmuIbGZRO
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) July 1, 2022
LaVine seems more than happy with the contract: his wife posted a picture of him celebrating the deal with a cigar on his back porch.
There won’t be time for much celebrating or cigars because LaVine and his squad need to spend the summer getting better and ready to build on the recent success they found.
Bulls On Parade
There were quite a few years when the Bulls weren’t in playoff contention and not even close to it.
They were quietly accumulating a lot of young talent, including LaVine back in 2017.
But everything changed when the team acquired DeMar DeRozan, someone who had been written off by millions of NBA fans after his years in Toronto and San Antonio.
With DeRozan leading the way, the team exploded in the best ways during the 2021-22 season and made the playoffs for the first time in years.
LaVine was a central part of the team’s success, averaging 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists.
He became stronger, faster, more efficient from nearly every part of the court, and was a great player alongside DeRozan and others.
An injury complicated things towards the end of the season but LaVine had that taken care of and will be ready to burst back onto the court in October.
In the months ahead, he and his team will be laser-focused on getting better so they can make last season look like only the beginning of their resurgence.
NEXT: NBA Insider Reveals Where Zach LaVine Will Play Next Season