Zach LaVine says he would have been a professional baseball player had he not gone to the NBA
Chicago Bulls wingman Zach LaVine is doing pretty good as a professional basketball player. Now in his ninth NBA season and sixth with the Bulls, LaVine has already carved out a nice career as a high-flying, volume-scoring wingman who can put up points almost at will. But what if LaVine wasn’t an NBA player? What job would he probably have? The UCLA product says he might have become a Major League Baseball pro.
Play for the Los Angeles Angels
Growing up, LaVine shared he was head over heels for baseball and dreamed of playing it professionally. Even though he’s already a two-time All-Star and a pillar of this Bulls squad, LaVine went into detail about which team he would have loved to play for and which position on the field he would have taken.
“Probably centerfield for the Angels. Ah, no, Mike Trout is there. Left field for the Angels. I was a five-tool player. Power. Speed. Great glove. Good arm strength. Not the most accurate arm. That’s why they moved me to center field. I was at third base. Little bit too inaccurate for them. Had good pop,” said LaVine.
Space Jam changed his life
LaVine shared that at the age of seven, baseball was his sport. He looked up to his father, who was a professional softball player and he wanted to be like him. However, the movie “Space Jam” which starred Bulls legend Michael Jordan changed the trajectory of his life and his eventual career.
“By the age of seven, I was going in the direction of being an athlete. At that time, baseball was my sport. After my dad retired from professional football he began a career as a professional softball player. And yes, there is such a thing. I remember watching him and my uncle practice all day. I would try to swing like them and perform like them on the field,” said LaVine.
“Shortly thereafter, my sport choice changed dramatically when I saw the movie, “Space Jam.” I became fixated with Michael Jordan. I watched hours of videotape of him desiring to be a skilled basketball player like MJ. I would go outside and try to emulate all types of his dunks. I wanted to do anything and everything I could to be like him and continue to excel in basketball. At that moment, I knew I had found my sport.”
