The Sacramento Kings are at home at the Golden 1 Center on Thursday night as they face off against the Chicago Bulls.
Sacramento enters Thursday's contest coming off an impressive victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday while the Bulls are coming off a loss on Wednesday to the Phoenix Suns.
With both teams fighting to improve their spot in the standings with the playoffs right around the corner, Thursday's contest is a massive one for both squads.
Of course, Thursday's game against the Bulls is also the first time Zach LaVine will face off against his old team since being traded to the Kings ahead of the trade deadline.
Chicago sent LaVine to Sacramento in the three-team trade that saw the Kings send their star point guard De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs ahead of the deadline.
LaVine did miss Wednesday's victory due to personal reasons but the star guard will return to the Kings lineup to face off against his old team on Thursday.
Ahead of Thursday's matchup, LaVine opened up about his time with the Bulls and sent a heartfelt message to the organization and their fanbase.
"I loved Chicago," LaVine told the Chicago Tribune's Sam Smith. "Chicago's always going to be a special place in my heart, and I hope the fan base, the organization know how much I deeply care for them."
"I loved Chicago... Chicago's always going to be a special place in my heart, and I hope the fan base, the organization know how much I deeply care for them."@SamSmithHoops caught up with Zach:https://t.co/V72UuIJ4bz
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 20, 2025
Of course, LaVine spent eight seasons with the Bulls after he was traded to them in 2017 by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
During his eight years in Chicago, the 30-year-old guard averaged 24.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 47.4% from the field and 39.0% from three-point range while also making two All-Star teams.
Despite this, LaVine struggled with injuries during his time in Chicago and he had also been the subject of trade rumors for much of his time with the team, but it is clear that he deeply cares about the Bulls and Chicago.
Fans can catch LaVine's first game against his old squad when the Kings host the Bulls on Thursday night at 10:00 p.m. EST on NBA TV.
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This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 4:13 PM.