Exclusive: Ivica Zubac Talks Clippers, NBA Offseason, Basketball Without Borders

LA Clippers center Ivica Zubac took a significant leap last season. Presented with the biggest opportunity of his nine-year NBA career, Zubac played 32.8 minutes per game across 80 appearances.

This increased playing time led to career-highs across the board for Zubac, who averaged 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists — all personal bests. Finishing second in Most Improved Player voting, Zubac made the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team while finishing sixth for Defensive Player of the Year.

Now widely considered one of the NBA’s elite starting centers, Zubac views his unique journey to stardom as something that can help educate the next generation of basketball players.

LA Clippers center Ivica Zubac, guard James Harden — LA Clippers center Ivica Zubac and guard James Harden before a game at Intuit Dome. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Zubac Joins Basketball Without Borders Camp as Coach, Mentor

This week, Zubac is in Manchester serving as a coach and mentor at the NBA’s 22nd Basketball Without Borders Europe Camp. The camp, which features 60 top-ranked high school basketball players from 27 different countries, is being held in the United Kingdom for the first time ever.

Speaking with Clippers On SI, Zubac explained how his journey to the NBA inspired him to impact the next generation of European players.

"I know how challenging and how difficult a path from Europe to NBA might be," he said. "Just being able to contribute, to help these kids out — maybe share one thing that's going to help them. I'm happy with that. So I'm glad I'm here."

A second round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016, Zubac didn’t reach 1,000 minutes played in a season until the 2018-19 campaign — the year he was traded to the Clippers. From there, the Croatian big man saw his role fluctuate.

Despite starting 428 of his 470 games since joining the Clippers, it wasn’t until last season when Zubac became a nightly fixture in LA’s closing lineup. Spending nearly a decade in the league before getting this opportunity, Zubac knows his journey can help young basketball players understand what it takes to stick in the NBA.

"It can help them a lot," Zubac said. "My path was very different and difficult just getting to the NBA, and then navigating the differences between FIBA basketball and NBA basketball, and then trying to figure out how I can impact the game when I get in for few minutes."

Viewing every opportunity as chance to create the next one, Zubac was constantly thinking along these lines early in his career.

"What can I do to get more minutes in the next game? How can I earn my role to be consistent every night? I think just going through all that stuff, and the fact that nothing was really given to me in my career, I think that experience — in that regard, I can help these kids a lot."

LA Clippers, Ivica Zubac — LA Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) after a game at Intuit Dome. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Before being drafted as a 19-year-old out of Croatia, Zubac didn’t have the opportunity to learn from NBA talent. It wasn’t until he got to the league when access to that wealth of knowledge became available to him. This is something else that makes him feel called to give back.

"I was never blessed or lucky enough to be part of something like this when I was younger," Zubac said of this week’s Basketball Without Borders camp. "I think it definitely could help. I hope these kids realize how special of an opportunity this is, just to be around a coach like Nick Nurse who won an NBA championship, Derek Fisher who won five NBA championships, Tyson Chandler — NBA champion and Defensive Player of the Year, WNBA players who won championships."

He added, "I hope they realize how lucky they are and how valuable the knowledge is that those people got. They've been great so far, asking questions, trying to learn, and hopefully they can get back a lot from this camp."

Zubac Looks Ahead at 2025-26 Clippers Season

Perhaps also unlike when he was younger, Zubac has encountered a lot of Clippers fans in Manchester this week.

"A bunch of these kids know a lot about our team," Zubac said. "They ask me a bunch of questions about the team, about the new additions that we got, who we signed. A couple kids play high school basketball in the states, and one of the kids was at a game last year. So they follow the Clippers a lot, and you can tell there's much more — there's a lot of kids that that really like the Clippers and follow them. Just being able to represent my team and the Clippers means a lot."

Zubac is among those excited about the moves LA made this summer. Coming off a 50-win season, the Clippers added Bradley Beal, John Collins, Brook Lopez, and Chris Paul. Zubac believes they improved every weakness last year's team had.

"I'm very happy," he said. "I think the team got much better than last year. Last year we won 50 games, and I think we improved a lot. I think all the weaknesses we had from last year we improved. We got bigger, we got a backup center, we got a four, we got Bradley Beal, we got Chris Paul. So I think we improved a lot. I'm very happy, and I'm super excited to start the season and see what we can do."

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal, LA Clippers guard James Harden — Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) and LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) at Footprint Center. | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

While LA’s 50-win campaign exceeded almost every preseason projection, it also came with a first round exit. And for the first time since 2020, injuries were not a factor. This is why despite the impressive regular season, Clippers players didn’t enter the summer satisfied.

"The conversation was that we could have won that series," Zubac said of LA's first round loss to the Denver Nuggets. "That we let that one slip. I think Game 1 and Game 4 could have went both ways."

While the external expectations began rising as the Clippers finished the 2024-25 regular season on an 18-3 run, the internal belief started much sooner — then grew as LA entered the playoffs red hot.

"We felt like we were much better than a first round exit," Zubac added. "And we had that feeling throughout the whole season, but especially that last stretch, the last 21 games. It was something we could build on. Defense was very good. We played a little different than the years before. I think just with adding these new guys, building on what we did last year, I think we're in a good position and we are very confident going into next season."