Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls recently wrapped up their campaign in Paris with a 126-108 win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday. LaVine was a big part of the Bulls’ easy win, scoring 30 points while shooting 50.0 percent from the field.
Chicago (21-24) is still 10th in the Eastern Conference and has work to do, but things are looking up.
After the game, he was asked who he looked up to the most and why he wore the number 8 during a brilliant interaction with a youngster.
A little boy asked:
“I wear number 8 when I play basketball at the club because you are my idol. So, I want to know why you wear that number and who was your idol when I was my age?”
Zach LaVine immediately responded from the heart, expressing his gratitude for being his idol:
“I thank it first, my man. Why I wear size 8 is because of my idol. It is kobe bryant. So, looking up to him, I want to do everything he does. I wore No. 14 in high school because of my dad, and then wanted to wear No. 8 because Kobe went to the NBA. I looked up to Kobe and Michael (Jordan), like a lot of kids growing up in the 90s.
“I always try to do what he does, the smartest, hardest work. So, in that position, I have people like you adore me, man, it’s a full circle, so I appreciate that. “
It certainly wouldn’t surprise a lot of people to hear Zach LaVine say that. At his age, he could watch Kobe almost every night if he wanted to.
Kobe was one of the best players of the late ’90s and early 2000s, and it’s easy to see why some of that generation looked up to him. Not only is he an incredible basketball player, but as LaVine said, he’s also a great person and a competitor.
