The Los Angeles Clippers are in a new era. The 2024/25 season features many different looks for LA including a very different roster and brand new arena.
Maybe you have been following the Clippers since the beginning, back in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves. Maybe you fell in love with the team in the 2010s behind the star power of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
Whether this is your first year or fifty-fourth year following the team, this “Meet The Clippers” series is set to introduce you to the 2024/25 team from a whole new perspective.
For the next however many days, there will be an interaction with each member of the Clippers team to bring some familiarity to this new era.
The third Clipper in this series is the main big man himself: Ivica Zubac
IVICA ZUBAC PRE-NBA
Ivica was born on March 18th, 1997 in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Big Zu is one of 14 players in NBA history from Bosnia and Herzegovina which includes players like the Suns’ Jusuf Nurkić, former Sun Dragan Bender, and Nets’ Bojan Bogdanović. Even though he was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zubac is a citizen of Croatia. His cousin, Zoran Planinic, also played in the NBA for the New Jersey Nets in the early 2000s.
Before his time in the NBA, Zubac played for Croatia during the U-16 European Championship in 2013. In the 2015 World Championships, Ivica helped the Croatian U-19 team receive the silver medal while averaging 17.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. After spending time with the U-19 team, Ivica then spent time with the Croatian U-18 team where he led the 2015 European Championships in blocks, rebounds, and double-doubles. Zubac then played with the Cibona Adriatic League for 9 games in 2015-16.
This success in Europe led to Ivica Zubac achieving looks from NBA scouts.
NBA HISTORY
Ivica Zubac’s NBA career began in the 2016 NBA draft. With the 2nd pick of the second round, the Los Angeles Lakers selected the big man with the 32nd overall pick.
Big Zu didn’t make his debut immediately for the Lakers as his NBA debut was on November 2nd against the Atlanta Hawks. In this post-Kobe Bryant era, the Lakers were searching for a new identity as Zubac only played 38 games in the 2016-17 season for LA. Zubac would play for the LA D-Fenders in the G-League as well during the 2016-17 season where he would average 30.1 minutes a game. Zubac would then play 43 games for the LA Lakers and 14 for the South Bay Lakers as he remained a two-way player for the 2017-18 season. This would be the end of Big Zu’s time in the G-League.
Ivica Zubac would spend the 2018-19 season with two teams as the Lakers sent Zubac and Michael Beasley to the Los Angeles Clippers for Mike Muscala. This trade would feed families as Zubac would soon become a staple of the Clippers franchise. Zubac would start all but one game for the Clippers for the rest of the season.
Ivica would feature as a rotational big man for the Clippers while starting the majority of his time in LA. Big Zu started 348 total games for the team before the 2024-25 season. This includes every game he has played in since 2021.
While his stats don’t exactly pop off the page, Zubac has been an effective rebounder on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. He has averaged over 2 offensive rebounds a game since joining the squad. Zubac has averaged double-digit scoring since the 2021-22 season for the Clippers.
During his time with the Clippers, Zubac would sign two different extensions to remain a Clipper since being traded for in the 2018-19 season. This includes a very recent extension signed on September 3rd, 2024. Zubac agreed to a 3-year $58.6 million extension that would make him a Clipper through the 2027-28 season.
IVICA ZUBAC NOW
What can you expect from the big man this season? A bigger leadership role and more minutes. Through 9 games, Zubac is averaging a staggering 34.7 minutes per game. Ivica has been one of two active centers on the team while Mo Bamba has yet to see the court since dealing with his knee injury.
Big Zu has acted like the anchor of the defense and has rebounded at an exceptional level. Zubac has averaged 12.8 rebounds per game which is the third-highest amount in the NBA currently. He is also averaging 16.7 points, 3.0 assists, and 0.8 blocks per game.
If Ivica Zubac can continue to remain healthy and play at this level, the Los Angeles Clippers find themselves with one of the most consistent and reliable big men in the league.
