The Croatian professional basketball player Ivica Zubac plays as a center for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers. The Los Angeles Lakers selected him in the 2016 NBA draft. Ivica had already played around four years of his professional basketball in Europe before entering the NBA. However, he became one of the few Croatian players to play in the American League with his selection.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Ivica Zubac |
| Date of Birth | March 18, 1997 |
| Birth Place | Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina |
| Nick Name | Zublocka, Zu, Eight Percent |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | Croatian/Bosnian |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Age | 25 years old |
| Height | 2.13 m (7 feet) |
| Weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Build | Athletic |
| Father’s Name | Ivan Zubac |
| Mother’s Name | Dijana Zubac |
| Siblings | Two brothers and a sister |
| Siblings’ Name | Mario, Antonio, and Marijaandjela Zubac |
| Education | Not available |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Girlfriend’s Name | Kristina Prisc |
| Kid | None |
| Food Habit | Non-vegetarian |
| Profession | Professional basketball player |
| NBA Draft | 2016 |
| Position | Center |
| League |
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| Active Years | (2013–present) |
| Net Worth | $3 million |
| Currently Plays for | Los Angeles Clippers |
| Former Clubs |
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| Jersey Number (Recent) | 40 |
| Career Highlights & Awards |
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| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter, Facebook |
| Merch | Notebook, Cards |
| Last Update | August 2022 |
Childhood, family, and education
The Croatian basketball player was born in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on March 18, 1997. He is Ivan Zubac and Dijana Zubac’s oldest child. In addition, he is related to two younger brothers and a sister.
Ivica was raised in Citluk, a town close to the Croatian border. Zubac, who holds dual citizenship, considers himself to be Croatian. Zubac went to a private school in the same city when he was a kid.
When he was just five years old, he first took up basketball for recreation. Ivan, his father, played basketball for fun while he was in his teens. In addition, Zoran Planinic, Ivica’s cousin, was an NBA player at the same time.
Also he was so motivated to continue playing basketball by both his athletic father and his cousin. Even a tiny court had been set up for Ivan’s sons and friends to practice on. He played basketball as a youngster with bigger neighborhood lads.
He initially felt difficult because he was unable to keep up with the other boys. However, he felt like he was not made for basketball because they frequently neglected him.
Ivica Zubac | Career
Professional Career
European Leagues
Ivica Zubac played for his hometown team, Brotnjo, for many years. He soon started to rule the local-level games, though. Thus, he received an invitation from the Cibona Zagreb to participate in a competition in Croatia.
Soon after, the team transferred him to the Zrinjevac team, where he spent nearly a year playing in Croatia’s second league division.
Upon his return, he played with the Cibona in the Adriatic League, where he won the league championship in 2014. Before being relocated to the Mega Leks of the Serbian Basketball League, he played one more season with the team.
Ivica moved to America to play in the NBA League after having a rather brief professional career in Serbia.
NASCAR Career
While still a member of Mega Leks, Zubac entered the NBA draft in 2016. He was chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 32nd overall pick in the second round.
On July 7, 2016, he entered into a contract with the Lakers. Soon after, the team gave him a summer league assignment for the 2016 NBA. He eventually made his NBA debut for the team on November 2 against the Atlanta Hawks.
Zubac attempted to perform well during his two and a half NBA seasons with the Lakers.
He received relatively little playing time, hence his performance over the course of his years at the club was ineffective.
As a result, on February 7, 2019, the Lakers traded him to the LA Clippers. He made a little progress after switching to the new club and participated in his first NBA playoff games. Zubac played in about 26 games and scored 9.4 points per contest.
Additionally, he was crucial in guiding the Lakers to two more NBA playoff appearances in the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons. He participated in 72 games throughout the course of both seasons and did admirably, particularly with his blocks and rebounds.
His outstanding blocking abilities earned him the moniker “Zublocka” from the Clippers.
He is still playing with the Clippers and has improved from prior seasons. He has already participated in more than 50 games, therefore this season’s stats are probably going to be incredible.
Career on a national team
Although he is qualified to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina, he has consistently competed for Croatia in a number of international competitions. He debuted for Croatia’s junior national team in 2013, competing in the FIBA Europe U-16 Championship.
With 17.6 points and 7.9 rebounds on average per game, Zubac excelled and even took home awards at the 2015 FIBA competition.
The 7-foot-tall player now competes in several tournaments for the Croatian senior national team.
Height, weight, and age
The Croatian basketball player will be 25 years old in 2022. Every March 18, he celebrates his birthday.
He currently measures 240 lbs (109 kg). Zubac, though, was primarily overweight as a child. In fact, when he entered the NBA, he was one of the select few players with a double-figure fat percentage.
But in 2017, he skipped the entire Eurobasket competition to focus entirely on the gym. As a result, he was able to lower his body fat to just 8%, earning the nickname “Eight Percent” from his teammates.
He is also rather tall at 2.13 meters (7 feet). He thinks his parents are to blame for his enormous build. His mother can reach a height of 6 feet 2 inches, and his father, Ivan, stands at 6 feet 6 inches.
In addition, he has dark eyes and brown hair.
Recognition & Achievements
Ivica Zubac started playing basketball professionally at a very young age. In his basketball career, he has received a great deal of recognition and acclaim.
He has unfortunately yet to receive any NBA honors outside of fame. However, shortly after starting his basketball career, he took home two significant European League awards. He still has a great chance to succeed and garner prestigious honors because of his youth.
His accolades and accomplishments include:
- Serbian Cup champion (2016)
- All-World Championship U-19 Second Team honors (2015)
- Adriatic League champion (2014)
Salary, Net Worth, and Career Earnings
Ivica Zubac, one of the top young European players in the NBA, has an estimated $3 million in wealth.
The games in the league are his main source of income. He began making money through leagues in Europe when he was still a young athlete. On the other hand, there is no accurate information available on his earnings from European leagues.
But after the Los Angeles Lakers selected him in the 2016 NBA draft, the athlete’s life changed. The team gave him a substantial quantity of money—roughly $1 million—during just his rookie season.
The following year, he played for the same team and earned roughly $1.3 million.
After joining the LA Clippers in 2019, he saw his earnings increase. He received a nearly $1.5 million contract offer from the Clippers for his rookie campaign. The following season, the team massively upped the player’s pay to a staggering $6.5 million.
Currently, the athlete makes about $7.5 million a year. From his time in the NBA, he has already accumulated riches of over $17.3 million.
He also earns well from merchandise sales and brand sponsorships. You may also like to know more about The Suns win Game 4 against the Clippers
Ivica Zubac: My Private Life
Ivica Zubac is now engaged in a committed relationship with Kristina Prisc, who is also a citizen of Croatia. In a tiny, private ceremony, the two got engaged in the Bahamas in 2020 in front of a select group of loved ones.
In 2015, Ivica first met Kristina and quickly made contact. She, in turn, expressed interest in the young, up-and-coming basketball player, and the two have been dating ever since.
On May 1st, 1992, Kristina Prisc was conceived. In 2016, she earned her degree in journalism from a Croatian university. She chose to work as a model instead of pursuing a career in journalism because she did not enjoy it.
She also enjoys animals and especially likes dogs and horses. She even has her own stable where she often brings her horses to compete in horse races.
Returning to the present, she travels to America frequently to visit her boyfriend, and they have fun on their trips together. Additionally, she constantly exercises because she is a major fitness nut.
Due to the Coronavirus epidemic, the couple had to postpone their 2020 wedding. They are, however, anticipated to reveal their wedding date very soon.
They have not yet had any children.
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Questions and Answers (FAQs)
Who is the Clippers’ number 40?
Ivica Zubac is the Clippers’ number 40. Since the start of the 2018–19 NBA season, he has been representing them while wearing that jersey number. While with the LA Lakers, he had also had the same jersey number.
When did Ivica Zubac begin to envision himself playing in the NBA?
Ivica Zubac began to have dreams of playing in the NBA while still in high school. The precise age is uncertain, though. When he was barely 7 years old, he started competing in small events.
In addition, he began to fantasize of playing in the NBA once his cousin started a professional career there.