Clippers' $58,650,480 star candidly admits to hate-watching WC teams: "Being a hater"
During an interview following the LA Clippers' 128-108 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, Ivica Zubac admitted to hate-watching other Western Conference teams.
Zubac said that while their main focus remains on winning, he keeps an eye on other competing WC teams. The $58,650,480 center, per Spotrac, also said he hopes that the competing teams lose so that the Clippers can clinch their spot in the playoffs.
“We want to focus on ourselves and win as many games as we can, but at the same time every night I’m watching the games," Zubac said. "I’m watching the teams in front of us, teams that are behind us in the standings, hoping they lose, and being a hater.”
The LA Clippers are seventh in the Western Conference standings with a 40-30 record and remain in the play-in tournament bracket. Friday's win also put them on a five-game winning streak.
With just 12 games remaining in the regular season, the Clippers are just one game behind the Golden State Warriors (41-29) for the sixth-seed safety. Given the tight WC battle this season, they are also just 6.5 games away from being out of playoff contention.
Clippers confident in Ivica Zubac's double-double ability
During the postgame interview after their matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, LA Clippers assistant coach Brian Shaw shared the team's confidence in Ivica Zubac's double-double ability.
The 7-foot center recorded a double-double of 17 points, 10 rebounds, an assist and two blocks in the game, which was his 47th double-double performance of the season.
"I think the game has slowed down for him, his confidence is at an all-time high when we get the ball inside, not only from the confidence from the coach's standpoint but from his teammates as well," Shaw said.
"Maybe in the past, they may have been a little reluctant to throw the ball into him and now when we need to settle the team down, or we need a bucket, everybody's okay with going into Zu and he usually delivers for us, and he does it in an efficient manner.
"We know that we can count on him for a double-double pretty much every single night."
Across the 67 games he's played in the season, Ivica Zubac is averaging a double-double stat line of 16.4 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 62.5% from the field.