Ivica Zubac quickly became a fan favorite when the Los Angeles Lakers drafted him with their 32nd pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. From his endearing accent, jovial demeanor and genuine love for the Lakers it was easy for the 7’1 Croatian center to find his way into fans hearts. At just 19 years old and needing time to develop, Zubac has been spending time with the Los Angeles D-Fenders, where he’s averaging 16.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
After receiving a lot of questions about where Zubac’s been and when he’ll return to the Lakers, we caught up Zubac after he scored 22 points in the D-Fenders win over the Salt Lake City Stars, chatting about everything from how different the travel is in the D-League, what coaches have asked him to work on, the excitement of draining his first three-pointer and what he’s learned throughout this experience.