Ivica Zubac Opens Up About His Knee Injury

Ivica Zubac had a candid conversation about the injury that kept him out of the biggest game in Clippers franchise history.

In three seasons, Ivica Zubac had never missed a single game for the LA Clippers due to injury. That all changed in one of the most injury-riddled seasons in NBA history; Zubac missed Games 5 and 6 in the Western Conference Finals due to an MCL sprain.

"It was tough, man," Ivica Zubac said. "I forgot how it feels to be back in the locker room when the guys go out and when they get in the huddle and they go out on the court to warm up. You know, staying in the locker room, it was tough. I'm just used to being out there."

Zubac tried playing through the pain and giving it a go for Game 5, but he ultimately had too much pain in his knee. Sources revealed to AllClippers that he nearly suffered a tear in his knee during Game 4, and was very fortunate to come away without that damage.

"I don't know how close I was," Zubac said. "I mean, I gave it a try in Game 4, Game 5 in Phoenix, I was trying to run. I just couldn't do it. I gave everything I could. I really tried, and just my knee wouldn't let me do it. You know, it's tough, especially when I played in every game for the Clippers, and then probably the most important game in franchise history, I couldn't be out there."

The Clippers came up short of an NBA Championship during the 2020-21 season, but it was still the greatest season in franchise history. Zubac will have the next couple of months to fix his knee and be ready for next season.

"I've got to get that knee right," Zubac said. "I've got to get healthy this summer and prepare for next year."