Ivica Zubac Says Pacers’ Rare Camaraderie Sets This Team Apart

INDIANAPOLIS -- Ivica Zubac has played in the NBA for 10 seasons, enough time to understand that teammates getting along is not necessarily the same as having a close locker room.

That is why one of Zubac's first observations about the Indiana Pacers had little to do with basketball.

After spending part of his summer playing for the Croatian national team, Zubac returned to Indiana and noticed similarities between the relationships he has with his longtime Croatian teammates and those that have been established within the Pacers organization.

For Zubac --who was acquired by Indiana last February-- that comparison is not one he makes lightly.

“The camaraderie we have with the national team, just kind of playing with the guys that I grew up with, it's very fun, Zubac said. "And that's one thing I told these guys over here, that they have something similar over here. And that's not normal in this league."

Zubac has spent his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and now the Pacers. He has been around different rosters, coaches and personalities during that time, but said he hasn't experienced many locker rooms with the type of relationships he has found in Indiana.

"I've been in this league for 10 years. And I don't think I've been on a team that's really had camaraderie like this," Zubac said. "They have fun spending time with each other off the court. They are very generous. So, it's really special what the guys built here, and it kind of reminds me of the national team."

The comparison provides some insight into a characteristic the Pacers believe has become important to their success.

Indiana's core has spent the past several seasons growing together, both on and off the court. While the roster has changed around that group, the Pacers have tried to maintain an environment built around players who are willing to share the basketball, accept different roles and enjoy being around one another away from the arena.

The early indications are that Indiana's newest additions have noticed it, too.

Kelly Oubre Jr. at Pacers Media Day | Alex Golden | Pacers on SI

Kelly Oubre Jr., who joined the Pacers during the offseason, described the group as light-hearted away from basketball without allowing that personality to affect how it approaches its work.

"When it's time to kick it on in between those four lines, we do that," Oubre said. "But off the court, everybody's communicating, everybody's talking, getting to know each other, asking questions and just welcoming everybody with open arms."

For a veteran joining an established locker room, that can make a transition easier. Oubre has played for several teams throughout his career and said Indiana's players have made an effort to include him from the beginning.

"I think Zu is right," Oubre said. "As somebody who's fairly new coming in, they make it pretty easy for you to want to come in and get to know everybody."

Larry Nance Jr. at Pacers Media Day | Alex Golden - Pacers on SI

Larry Nance Jr. has reached a similar conclusion.

Nance is preparing for his twelfth NBA season and has experienced enough locker rooms to know that players naturally form smaller groups. Some teammates spend time together away from the facility. Others go their separate ways once the workday ends.

Nance said there is nothing unusual about that arrangement.

"In a lot of locker rooms, it's a normal work environment," Nance said, "There's three guys that hang out here, two guys that hang out here, one guy that is a homebody and then the other four hang out."

What has surprised Nance is how often that hasn't been the case with the Pacers.

Indiana's players have already had opportunities to get together away from basketball this season. Rather than those gatherings being limited to a handful of teammates, Nance said virtually the entire roster has participated.

"We've gotten to do a couple cool things already this season where not seven, eight or twelve were there, it was the full sixteen, or however many guys are on the roster, that every single person was there," Nance said. "This is going to be my 12th year, and I think that's rare that everybody hangs out."

Those relationships have also made it easier for new players to become comfortable with their teammates.

Andrew Nembhard said Zubac has fit naturally with the personalities already in Indiana's locker room. Part of that, Nembhard believes, comes from Zubac sharing many of the qualities the Pacers value.

"He's an easy breezy kinda guy," Nembhard said. "He flows and fits in with our guys. He wants to win the game, super unselfish. I love having him around."

That last characteristic -- unselfishness -- is one T.J. McConnell believes extends throughout the roster.

TJM — McConnell answers questions at Pacers Media Day. | Alex Golden - Pacers on SI

NBA teams spend considerable time discussing sacrifice, but maintaining it can become more difficult over the course of a season. Playing time changes. Roles fluctuate. Opportunities aren't distributed equally.

McConnell believes the Pacers have benefited from having players who are willing to accept those realities when it helps the team.

"We've got a lot of good people," McConnell said. "We want to see each other succeed. Everyone on this roster is selfless. In this league, that's really hard to come by. To be able to sacrifice for the next guy is really big, and I think we do a really good job of that here."

Whether that closeness translates into success over the course of an NBA season will ultimately be determined on the court. But the Pacers don't have to convince their newest players that something unusual has developed inside their locker room.

Three veterans with a combined three decades of NBA experience have already noticed it.

And for Zubac. the closest comparison he can find comes from somewhere outside the NBA -- playing for his country alongside teammates he has known for years.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

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