According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls overcame the Heat on Saturday, winning by a score of 21 points, but not without drama.

Cowley writes that star guard Zach LaVine “all but stormed off” the field as the team’s public relations director tried to convince him to perform his post-game media obligations. Cameras captured him yanking his arm away from the director.

LaVine stated, “Just a misunderstanding with the PR team.” We’re all doing well.

Cowley’s sources claim that after learning about the matter right away, Chicago’s front management expressed displeasure with LaVine’s actions. Cowley goes on to say that coach Billy Donovan was “downright ticked” when he learned about the incident.

All of this follows reports from earlier this week that suggested LaVine and the Bulls are both amenable to considering the possibility of switching things up.

Since moving to Chicago, LaVine has averaged 24.4 points and shot 38.4% from beyond the arc, making him one of the league’s top scorers. Despite his individual success, the Bulls have only made one trip to the playoffs in the six full seasons he has been there. With their current record of 5-9, they appear to be headed for an early exit or to miss the playoffs entirely.

Of course, LaVine isn’t the only problem facing the Bulls. To his credit, he became a two-time All-Star there, despite the fact that Chicago has faced many problems when he played for the team. 

The biggest unknown for this current team is Lonzo Ball’s extended layoff; he hasn’t played since January 14, 2022, and his return is unlikely. With this very core, the Bulls were 26-10 at one point and led the Eastern Conference standings when Ball was healthy.

Furthermore, the concerns that arose after the game might have actually been a misunderstanding. Nevertheless, Cowley’s account of Chicago’s coach and management’s unhappiness is noteworthy and adds another layer to the impression of a rift between the parties.