Los Angeles Clippers’ Ivica Zubac makes a special record on his birthday by joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s elite club | NBA News
Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac celebrated his 28th birthday in style, delivering a standout performance in Los Angeles’ 132-119 resounding victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The win marked the Clippers’ fourth consecutive triumph, further strengthening their playoff push. Fans erupted in celebration as the birthday boy put on a dominant display, playing a crucial role in his team’s success.
Ivica Zubac’s special birthday performance
Ivica Zubac delivered an exceptional performance, finishing the game with 28 points and 20 rebounds while shooting an impressive 13-for-18 from the field. In doing so, he became the first NBA player in more than 50 years to achieve such a stat line on his birthday.
The last player to accomplish the feat was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar—then known as Lew Alcindor—who recorded a 20-20 game with 70 percent shooting while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks on April 16, 1971.
Zubac’s stellar contribution was instrumental in securing a commanding win over the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers. Alongside him, Kawhi Leonard led the scoring with 33 points, including an impressive 5-of-6 from beyond the arc, while James Harden added 22 points and nine assists. For the Cavaliers, Evan Mobley returned from injury but was unable to prevent the defeat.
“I enjoy scoring a lot, a lot. I think we all started playing basketball because of offense—everyone wants to score. But once you get to the league, there’s so much more. You’ve got to find your role. At the beginning, my role was different. Last year or so, they needed me to score. They wanted me in the post, and I was ready,” Zubac told Eurohoops.
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He also took a moment to praise Serbian national team captain Bogdan Bogdanovic. “Whatever he’s been doing his whole career, you know, people in the NBA don’t really watch basketball thinking he’s just a shooter. He’s been playing and doing everything on the offensive end throughout his whole career for the national team in Europe. Now, people can see he’s more than just a shooter. He’s a great pick-and-roll player, very smart, his IQ is off the charts, and he works really hard. He’s a really good addition to our team,” Zubac said.
Zubac is averaging 16.4 points per game, 12.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
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