Zach LaVine Lands Major Role in 'NBA 2K22'

By Brian Jones

NBA 2K22 is available now, and Zach LaVine has a new role in the basketball video game. On Friday, MTN DEW announced that LaVine is part of its national roster alongside NBA superstar Zion Williamson and WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson. LaVine appears in NBA 2K22 serving as the brand's in-game host and takes fans through a variety of three-point challenges. 

"When we select an athlete partner, we look for a complete package – someone who not only dominates on the court but also aligns with the DEW lifestyle off the court," Pat O'Toole, vice president, MTN DEW, marketing said in a press release. "Zach is that complete package. We are looking forward to supporting him during the upcoming season and collaborating on future projects."    

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(Photo: 2K Games)

MTN DEW also extended its partnership with 2K. The game features the MTN DEW 3-Point Contest and The DEW ZONE, an area on the court 30-feet from the hoop. And in the very near future, fans will be able to land in-court game designs and customer content featuring LaVine and Williamson going head-to-head in an NBA 2K matchup. 

"MTN DEW has always been a brand that brings so much to hoops culture," LaVine said. "Their approach is to work with players who are super authentic and true to themselves – that's what attracted me to work with MTN DEW and I can't wait to show fans what I'm all about."   

LaVine was drafted No. 13 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves back in 2014. During his time in Minnesota, LaVine was named to the All-Rookie Second Team in 2015 and won the Slam Dunk contest the same year and in 2016. In June 2017, LaVine was traded to the Chicago Bulls and has been with the team the last four seasons. The 2020-21 campaign was LaVine's best in his career, averaging a career-high 27.4 points, five rebounds and nearly five assists per game. He was selected to his first All-Star game this past season. 

LaVine also was on the United States men's basketball team for the 2020 Tokoyo Olympics and helped the team win gold. "For me, it's not hard because I understand, or at least for me right now, I understand my place on the team," LaVine said to NBC Sports Chicago during the Olympics. "We can all score. There's guys on the team that's averaged 30. I'm close to 28, 30 points per game myself. So if we all get the ball, we obviously all know how to put the ball in the hoop. But we each need to have a role on this team."

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