© Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Zach Lavine talks about his love for golf as he competes in the American Century Championship
Zach LaVine is a naturally-gifted athlete who can excel in almost any sport he chooses. With his superior athleticism and skill, the former UCLA star averaged 24 points, four rebounds, and four assists for the Chicago Bulls this past season. And with the offseason in full swing, he also participated in Major League Baseball’s celebrity softball game, where he hit a booming home run.
Showing his incredible versatility, LaVine’s also now competing in the most competitive celebrity golf tournament on the circuit—the American Century Championship at the Edgewood Tahoe golf course.
Hard sport
LaVine admits golf’s intricacies fascinate him, as it’s a sport where he just can’t rely on his vertical leap or remarkable agility. He says the game challenges him mentally and physically in different ways than any other sport he’s ever encountered.
“I think golf is the one of the most skill-based things I’ve tried,” LaVine said in a talk with longtime Bulls insider Sam Smith. “You want to be extremely athletic in sports. For me, I can get away with something and make up for mistakes with being athletic. With golf it’s different. Sports require size and speed and strength. But you can’t outathletic golf, which is why it’s such a hard sport.”
Easy to master other sports
In his youth, LaVine’s father trained him so that he could become a big-league baseball player. And although he eventually fell in love with basketball, he also tried his hand at other sports like football.
“I usually pick up things because of my athleticism,” LaVine said. “Baseball, basketball, football growing up was easy to pick up because of my athleticism. With golf, I can hit it far and can hit it hard, but that doesn’t equate to having a good golf game. You need the right technique, the right skills and the right path. And then you still might not have it unless you putt the ball well. It’s so challenging, which is what I love about it.”
LaVine shared he began dabbling with the sport during the pandemic and hasn’t looked back ever since.
“I picked up a club for the first time during Covid; a lot of people did,” LaVine narrated. “I think that’s when golf got to be such a bigger thing for athletes. Now I have to say I’m addicted to it; I love it. I love basketball the most, of course, my first love, but I’m addicted to golf now.”
