The Los Angeles Lakers’ center of the future is hoping to learn from arguably the greatest center in franchise history.
In an interview with the O.C. Register’s Mark Medina on Monday, Ivica Zubac said he wants to train with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar over the summer to develop his hook shot, which he is said to be working on “every day” this offseason.
“I hope after summer league I get the chance to work out with Kareem,” said Zubac. “It’s different with someone who did it his whole career that can show you how to do it. I’m definitely looking forward to it. I’m going to use it a lot.”
The 20-year-old Zubac, who stands 7-foot-1, averaged 7.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per game as a rookie last season. While he is still very raw on both ends of the floor and will almost certainly begin next season coming off the bench for the Lakers behind the newly-acquired Brook Lopez, Zubac is a mobile big with good hands and a solid touch around the rim.
Abdul-Jabbar, himself standing 7-foot-2 in his playing days, became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer using that unblockable skyhook as his primary offensive weapon. But the shot has all but vanished from the modern NBA, and Abdul-Jabbar, though he has trained other big men in the recent past, hasn’t always had the best experiences with his pupils. Still, Zubac has been a Lakers fanatic his entire life, so it’s easy to see why he wants the opportunity.
Image via Ivica Zubac on Instagram
