LOS ANGELES >> The two big men never formally crossed paths. Yet, they nearly took the same journey.
Lakers center Ivica Zubac played for Mega Leks in the Basketball League of Serbia two years after Nuggets center Nikola Jokic did. While the two had vague memories of squaring up against each other in European tournaments, Jokic remembered more of his coach Dejan Milojevic gushing repeatedly about Zubac’s growth.
Since then, Jokic has witnessed it during Zubac’s rookie NBA season. Though Jokic sat out when the Lakers played the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday at Staples Center with a left hip flexor strain, the 6-foot-10 Serbian center played against Zubac earlier this month.