Ivica Zubac makes honest admission about playing with LeBron James

Ivica Zubac spent all of his NBA career in Los Angeles. The LA Lakers were the first team to give him a shot, making him a second-round pick in 2016. During his 2018-2019 season, Zubac was dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers. 

The Croatian center didn’t get to spend much time with the superstar forward LeBron James while he was on the Lakers. But as you can imagine, LeBron had a solid impact on the veteran center during that short period of time. 

Recently, Zubac spoke on his experience playing alongside LeBron.

What Ivica Zubac Said About LeBron James

“Honestly, the way he treated us and me was great,” said Zubac. 

“First time I met him, I had just come back from those qualifiers. When I was almost waived. I went back to Los Angeles after that. You always want to be first at the gym. So I get there early. He’s already lifting. Working, pumping iron. I walk in, he sees me from the other side. He’s yelling, ‘Zuuu!’ He comes over, hugs me. ‘How were qualifiers?’ He watched everything. That left an impression—he actually cared. It stayed that way. First two months I didn’t play. Then when I started, we played maybe five games together. Then he got hurt. Those five games with him. Amazing. You can imagine how easy it is.”

Playing for over two decades and wearing multiple uniforms throughout his career, LeBron has had many teammates. It might not always be glowing reviews for the league’s top scorer, but Zubac clearly had a positive experience during his short time with the star forward.

During the 2018-2019 NBA season, Zubac appeared in 33 games. He averaged 8.5 points and 4.9 rebounds. At the 2019 trade deadline, the Lakers moved Zubac to the Clippers alongside Michael Beasley in exchange for Mike Muscala.

Zubac became one of the most consistent centers in the league over time with the Clippers. Amid the 2026-2026 season (year 8 with the Clippers), Zubac was a popular name on the NBA trade market. Since the Clippers decided to change course and start making moves for the future, they decided to trade Zubac to the Indiana Pacers, putting an end to his era in Los Angeles.

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