Zubac recounted how he and the Clippers staff members cried for hours after learning the Pacers trade.
Leaving the Los Angeles Clippers is simply a highly emotional memory for Ivica Zubac's career.
Ivica Zubac
Ivica Zubac
Ivica Zubac
MIN: 30.14
PTS: 14.1 (62.34%)
REB: 10.63
AS: 2.19
ST: 0.38
BL: 0.83
TO: 1.79
GM: 48
Zubac, who was the longest tenured Clipper, saw himself being shipped to the Indiana Pacers at the past trade deadline, allowing LA to acquire Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson in return.
Zubac recounted his heartbreaking experience with ClutchPoints' Tomer Azarly, revealing that he and most of all the Clippers staff were crying when the deal took place.
“It was tough when Lawrence Frank called me to let me know that it was happening and then just kind of being on the phone with people from the Pacers and going through all that. Then it hit me that the [Clippers] were going on a trip and it'd be good to go over there so I called Lawrence, he said that anytime I wanted to come by, I'm free to come by," he said.
“So I went over there, caught a lot of people before they left for the trip, and yeah, we sat there for five, six hours, I don't even know, but it just talked about memories and all the stuff that we did and what we went through and a lot of people cried. I cried. It was tough, man. It was tough. You always think it could happen — the trades and stuff — but you never really expect it, you don't want it to happen. So once it happened, yeah, it was tough.”
The Croatian big man has been a beloved figure within the Clippers. After he was traded by the Lakers in the 2018-19 midseason, he immediately found a home in the LA organization.
Zubac played an important role in the team's contention in this era. From 2019, he helped LA reach six postseason appearances, including the franchise's historic first-ever trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2021.
Ivica Zubac
Ivica Zubac
Team: Indiana Pacers
Position: C
Age: 29
Height: 213 cm
Weight: 109 kg
Birth place: Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The 29-year-old has been the Clippers' interior anchor, who averaged 11.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals in 513 regular-season games across eight seasons.
Zubac returned to LA earlier this month, when the Pacers visited the Clippers for a matchup. There, he was presented with a special video tribute in the Intuit Dome, and his locker was decorated by the team's staff.
“Clippers fans are amazing,” Zubac said. “They took me in when I was young, always supported me, even sometimes when I didn't do so well. They always had my back, always trusted me and one of the best fans in the world. Like I've said before, it's not the biggest fan base, but it's definitely a very proud fan base that appreciates its players.
"They've been through a lot of stuff, a lot of bad luck, put a lot of bad luck in a lot of different seasons and the way they come out every single game and support you. Like they're really genuine and I had so much fun. I still can't believe I'm going to be going against them in the future. Those are my people for life, for sure.”
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