NBA: Ivica Zubac remembers difficult period with the Lakers: “I thought about leaving…”

The beginning of his career Ivica Zubac at NBA was very complicated while working for Los Angeles Lakers, but the situation has completely changed. Absolute holder of Los Angeles Clippersthe pivot commented during his participation in his teammate’s podcast, Paul Georgeabout the beginning of his life in the league and that he was close to giving up everything.

“I had a very bad experience in the G League, when I played for the Lakers, because I knew I could be in the NBA, but I never played. It’s a point guard league, so my job was just to do cardio. [só corria pela quadra]. I could still do numbers, but because I was so much bigger than everyone else. So, it was very difficult. I hated”, commented the pivot. Even though he was injured recently, Zubac says he is very happy with the Clippers, having the best season of his career, but reported that it was difficult to reach his current level.

“I thought I was in the NBA, but I came from Europe to play for the Lakers. But not. I ended up at the LA Defenders. I played in front of 80 people in the gym, but it was even more difficult because we had to travel to places that had nothing, bad facilities. NBA players don’t have to go through that, but that’s why I respect G League guys so much. I wouldn’t last long there”Zubac said.

“As I was in my third and final year of my contract at the Lakers, my situation there was difficult because I was the third option for the position. So, JaVale McGee was the starter and Michael Beasley was the center. But as I hadn’t stepped on the court for two months, I thought I couldn’t do it anymore and would go back to Europe.”continued. “JaVale got sick and Luke Walton [antigo técnico da equipe] He told me I was going to start the next day. But I didn’t play like the team, I wasn’t part of the rotation, I didn’t step on the court. And in that game there was Rajon Rondo, LeBron James, so for a center it couldn’t be better. We faced the New Orleans Pelicans, but we had to face Anthony Davis and Julius Randle. So I had a double-double, three blocks, easy. Then, against the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors. It was incredible because we won by more than 20 points”he completed.

After that, Zubac followed the Lakers’ rotation, but before that, he felt like returning to the Europe. “I was already thinking about playing in the EuroLeague, things like that, but everything worked out after that. It was hard being in the G League because I would score 20 points without touching the ball much and then they would send me back to the Lakers and I wouldn’t even dress for games. I got angry and started complaining internally. My agent called me and told me to keep quiet because they were going to let me go. I was a second-round pick, so I had to be grateful because players from Europe stay there for a while longer before going to the NBA. So, because I went straight, I had to keep quiet.”he commented.