Lakers second-round pick Ivica Zubac wants to prove he can stay in L.A.
Ivica Zubac, who the Lakers selected with the 32nd pick in the NBA draft last month, tried to take everything in Tuesday at the Lakers practice facility — the trophies, banners, jerseys and then all of the questions.
It was understandably a bit overwhelming for the Bosnian-born 19-year-old.
“It’s crazy,” Zubac said after an introductory news conference. “I just realized I am now here….
“Before one month I was in Serbia playing against Serbian teams who are not really good, so to be in the best league in the world means so much to me.”
Zubac said the Lakers and Celtics were the only NBA teams that people were familiar with where he grew up.
He became a fan of Kobe Bryant because of Bryant’s shoes, but continued to watch him because of his “will to win.”
Zubac, 7-feet-1 and 240 pounds, will participate in the Lakers’ summer league games in Las Vegas.
A self-described old-school center, Zubac wants to prove that the Lakers selected the “right guy with the 32nd pick,” he said.
“I want to prove that I can fit in the system and that coach can count on me from the beginning of the season.”
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