The way Bulls guard Zach LaVine saw it, heck yeah it was time to get the team together.
So that’s exactly what the two-time NBA slam dunk champion did last week. Gathered the troops for some heavy shooting and of course an attempt at some serious defense.
It still wasn’t good enough to get by Bravo Team.
Taking a break from his offseason workout program, LaVine joined rapper Vic Mensa, as well gaming personalities SchviftyFive [Liz Schvifty] and Tru Vanguard, to take on a foursome headlined by NBA rookie Luka Doncic on Friday.
It was showcased as the “Gambit Showdown’’ with Bungie launching “Destiny 2: Forsaken’’ on the video game world. A world that LaVine is well-versed in.
“Just a gamer in my downtime,’’ LaVine said in a phone interview. “I mean I bring my system on the road when I need that little break.’’
Few games have caught his attention as much as Destiny.
The franchise launched Destiny 1 over four years ago, and then followed it up with Destiny 2 back in 2017. Forsaken is the latest add-on for Destiny 2, with Gambit a four-on-four, player-vs-player mode that Bungie Studios has high hopes for.
LaVine, along with his Alpha Team, gave it a huge thumbs up, even in the loss.
“That’s the great thing about Destiny is it never ends,’’ LaVine said of the entire franchise. “I mean there’s an end game in the campaign but there are so many other modes. Destiny is one of those games that feels like you can always go back to it.’’
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An endorsement that isn’t far off, as the latest Destiny 2 add-on is once again graphically stunning and offers up a great solo campaign. Microtransactions dragged down Destiny 2 when it first launched, but “Forsaken’’ is almost a reboot, and what better way to launch it than bring in two NBA players to play it in a live stream?
“Awesome,’’ was how LaVine described the gameplay.
OK, so the guard was hooked. But he also knows that offseason gaming has been just a small part of his summer.
LaVine made headlines back in July, when the Bulls matched the four-year, $78-million contract offer made by Sacramento for the services of the then-restricted free agent.
He laughed when asked if he’s had new friends and family appear in his life since inking the deal, insisting, “Nah man, I’ve got a close group of friends and family.’’
What remains to be seen, however, is what type of leadership role LaVine now takes with his Bulls teammates. He was a vocal leader last season, but hard to do considering he missed most of the first half of the year recovering from surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
These days the knee is feeling 100 percent, and now it’s about getting on the same page with the new-look Bulls as training camp is set to tip-off in less than three weeks.
LaVine did admit that he’s made a couple trips to Chicago this summer to workout with teammates, while fellow backcourt mate Kris Dunn came out to Los Angeles – LaVine’s offseason home – for an Adidas “thing.’’
“We were able to get together and work out a few days,’’ LaVine said. “But all of us have been in contact, so we’re ready for this thing to start.’’
With a lot to prove, especially with Las Vegas already deeming the Bulls a lottery team once again.
“Hey man, everybody is different,’’ LaVine said of that slight. “Everybody has a different opinion.’’
