Chicago Bulls: 5 most surprising quotes from 2019 Media Day

“The dunk contest is on the back of my mind. If my legs are the right way, I feel like I might do it.”

– Zach LaVine

Regardless of where the Chicago Bulls find themselves in the standings come February, at least they’ll have a busy All-Star break on their hands. This year’s festivities will take place in Chicago, where fans from across the country will flock to catch the action.

It could also mark the first time Chicago has one of their own in the All-Star Game since 2017, when Jimmy Butler represented the Bulls in New Orleans. This will be the first time Chicago has hosted the event since 1988 and only the third time in franchise history

But there’s one date in particular most NBA fans should have circled on their calendars. That day of course being February 15, where Zach LaVine is expected to make his long-awaited return to the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

A two-time undefeated champion in his own right, LaVine should be looking to prove he’s still got it in him after suffering a few injuries since his last victory. He won the contest in 2015 and 2016, besting Aaron Gordon in the latter, in which most consider the singular best dunk contest of the modern era.

Speaking of Gordon, he doesn’t appear to have let that loss go. He went onto ESPN’s The Jump and issued a challenge to the league’s premiere dunk artists like LaVine, Derrick Jones Jr., Donovan Mitchell (2018 winner), Hamidou Diallo (2019 winner), and Zion Williamson.

If the NBA could put together a slam dunk contest consisting of four of those aforementioned players, it would surely go down as the best in league history. Provided these players can remain healthy through to the All-Star break, the NBA owes it to the fans to try to book this eventful occasion.

And hey, we’re Bulls fans. You know we love our 3-peats. Go and get ’em Zach.