Back in 2015, Zach LaVine was a 19-year old rookie trying to find his way in the NBA. When he was offered a spot in the dunk contest over All-Star weekend, he didn’t hesitate.
What followed, both that year and the next, has become basketball folklore. LaVine had two of the best individual performances at the dunk contest of all time. Due to these legendary moments, his name is one of the first that is brought up when people talk about All-Star weekend.
These days, though, LaVine earns his way to All-Star weekend with his play during the regular season.
Now a veteran, he is averaging more than 24.0 points per game for one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. However, he turns down an invite to dunk, saying he does not have the same drive for it, he doesn’t have anything left to prove, and he doesn’t want to “lose” his legs.
“Nobody’s gonna beat that [Aaron Gordon vs Zach Lavine] dunk contest, so y’all gotta stop comparing us to that. But I feel like…the dunks I had, nobody’s ever done, they were hard dunks”: #NBAAllStar Dunk Champ Obi Toppin pic.twitter.com/tQF5feAXlU
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) February 25, 2022
That reality is hard to swallow for fans, though, as the dunk contest has become a bit less exciting since his days of dominance. After the events, 2022 NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner Obi Toppin said “nobody” is going to beat what LaVine and Aaron Gordon did in the dunk contest — so fans need to stop making the comparison.
LaVine did have dreams of becoming the first player in league history to win both the NBA Slam Dunk Contest and the Three-Point Contest, though. That is why he participated in the shooting competition for the third time this season (although it may be his last).
During a recent phone conversation with For The Win, LaVine said that he considers himself to be the type of competitor who loves the showmanship of these types of festivities. It’s one of the reasons why so many fans love his game.
“All-Star Weekend is always fun. You’re putting on a show,” LaVine said. “I’ve always prided myself as an exciting player.”
Becoming first to win both dunk and 3-point contest intrigues LaVine now. And then there's this: "I want to make All-Star games. I want to make the playoffs. I want to be an All-NBA player. That’s where my aspirations are now."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) March 7, 2021
But this weekend means more to him now: It’s a celebration of his stardom — he wants to earn All-NBA recognition at the end of the season — but the events are mostly about having fun.
On Saturday night of All-Star Weekend, LaVine fell short in the Three-Point Contest. He was eliminated in the first round. He then recorded 12 points in the All-Star Game, shooting 5-for-7 from the field while also adding 3 rebounds and 3 assists. However, he also logged the fewest minutes of any player on Team Durant. His squad lost the exhibition game on a buzzer-beater.
That didn’t define LaVine’s weekend, though. He also had a chance to build on the business side of his career. LaVine, who stars alongside Zion Williamson in a commercial for Mountain Dew, was bouncing around Cleveland for various branded activations during the trip.
That is something LaVine has actually come to enjoy about trips to All-Star Weekend, which have essentially turned into annually scheduled programming in his calendar.
“It’s not like it’s busy work,” LaVine said. “I’m literally coming out here doing my job and participating in things that I enjoy and believe in as well.”
LaVine said that while there are lots of media obligations provided by the NBA, he does other sponsored events because he legitimately enjoys them and he can continue to build his brand.
One of the activations that he participated in this year was an event with the all-in-one shopping service Klarna.
He said he was interested in partnering with Klarna because of his increased interest in fashion. During our conversation, LaVine couldn’t nail down one particular influence that has drawn him more towards clothing but that it’s more of a composite impact.
“It’s almost like basketball. You see all these great guys that you admire growing up and you try to take a little bit of their game and put it into yours and make your own game,” LaVine said. “I feel like you can do the same thing with fashion.”
For this particular activation, held in the heart of Cleveland Public Square, Klarna hosted an onsite pop-up with the visual artist and illustrator Sophia Chang. Among her list of accolades, the New York-based artist was one of several artists to collaborate with Topps for customized baseball cards.
At the Klarna All-Star Vault, her designs were available on beanies and shirts as well as limited edition, customized basketballs that were given out to select fans.
Chang, like LaVine, is no stranger to All-Star Weekend. She first received an NBA-related commission in 2014 for the Celebrity All-Star Game. She also helped create custom sneakers for NBA All-Star Weekend in 2020.
Growing up in New York City, even before she knew she wanted to become an illustrator, Chang said she was inspired by the neon lights outside Shea Stadium (where the Mets played until it became Citi Field in 2009).
These days, the artist says one of her goals is to capture the story of sports through her artwork.
“I want to share the passion, the love, and the excitement that is very apparent for people who watch the games,” Chang said. “I want to help bring those stories to life and create artwork for fans.”
