Top 44 Ivica Zubac Quotes

I do a better job of standing in front of the guards than I used to. I can take it to a higher level as far as reading the offenses, reading where all of our guys are, so I can get into the right position.

I just turn on the TV and watch whatever is on, like ‘Star Wars’ or ‘Lord of the Rings.’

It’s the NBA, arenas almost always sold out. When I played back in Europe, there would be some games with 50-100 people in the crowd, so it would be pretty much empty.

I want to get stronger. I want to get slimmer. I’m already slimmer, but I want to get some muscles so I can fight all these guys in the post.

The only thing I can do is work hard and hope that they’re gonna call my name.

In Europe, I was limited. I didn’t have minutes and when I had minutes, it was just, ‘Do this. Do this. You gotta listen to the coach.’

All of my shots are dunks or are around the rim.

I just got advice to work hard like I always did and never, nobody gave me everything. I always had to earn everything by myself. If I will just continue to do that, I’ll be fine.

Wherever I go, I have to speak English, which is my second language. So whenever you get a chance to speak in your own language? It feels good.

I live in the part of Bosnia-Herzegovina where we are the only Croatians, and we are the proudest in the world.

My first year everyone loved me. I was not getting that kind of love in my second year.

People are still feeling like it’s war. Croatians hate Serbians and Serbians hate Croatians. They don’t want to talk to each other.

You start learning English in fifth grade. I was 12. But even before then I was listening to American music. My neighbor was a really big hip-hop fan, so he taught me everything around hip-hop.

I can do the Sky Hook, but I’m not confident with it.

If I continue to work hard, I can make it to the NBA.

I never doubted in me. I always knew what I can do. I always had the same skill-set.

I just wanted to play and that’s all I worried about. If someone wanted to trade for me, I always thought it was a good sign.

Houses with courts and gyms are super expensive. Not a lot of players can afford that. I know it sounds crazy to say an NBA player can’t afford that, but that’s how it is in L.A.

Whatever I do, I want to be the best.

My role is to be a roller, offensive rebounder, set the screens and roll hard and play defense.

I always have confidence in myself even though everyone doubted me.

I would love to be trained by Kareem. That’s a GOAT.

I was really mad until the 23rd pick and I wasn’t selected and my agent told me, ‘If nobody selects you, you’re going to the Lakers.’ So I was hoping to not go in the first round of the draft.

I had to move out when I was 14 and live by myself in the capital of Croatia. That’s when it got a little serious. From there, I played on the Croatian national team.

It’s hard to fall asleep after a game. I often go to sleep at 4 A. M. because I’m thinking about the game and my mind is racing.

It’s hard when you’re a young player, second year, to not play for like 10 games and then they throw you in and they want you to do everything perfect.

I don’t really know any people from Boston.

I’ve gotten better at calling out coverages, communication, and being vertical when they’re attacking me in the paint.

I’m still working on my skyhook. I’m just waiting for a chance to use it.

I think that’s the only way I can improve: to work hard, to listen to my coaches. Not to question anything.

What really pushed me into chasing basketball even more was my cousin making the NBA too, in 2003.

It was even hard to imagine I was going to play in the NBA, because so many guys playing in Europe are not even getting to the Euroleague and everything. But everybody wants to play in the NBA. So when draft night came, it was a dream come true.

Sometimes I go to the pool. With the pool, sometimes it’s for recovery. I go with Joakim Noah because he’s a big pool guy.

I was hoping to workout with Kareem on a daily basis. After that first workout, I never got a chance.

A bunch of fans have come up to me and they say, ‘Why did we trade you? The Lakers front office did the biggest mistake.’ Everyone’s like, ‘We miss you.’

I always watch the playoffs.

Here you get to play one on one more, individual basketball. I think that fits me better than in Europe. You have harder, different double teams and everybody helps, but in the NBA they let you play one on one, so I think that will fit me better.

I always was a fan of the Lakers.

My agent called me when we were talking before I came to the States. He told me we are going to select only three or four teams who are most interested, who are calling the most, asking for you, who are watching me the most in Europe and scouting me.

I am living a great life.

It’s good to have someone who speaks your own language just to get your mind off of basketball.

Of course I want to be on the floor in the fourth.

We switched everything in G League so I had a lot of time to work on my switching.

I gotta defend, I gotta protect the rim, I gotta rebound, I gotta set good picks for the guys, finish on offense, and I think that is not going to change much.