NBA players Ivica Zubac and Dario Saric got into a scuffle just hours after the two competed in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
The two Croatian-born players headed out after an 80-69 lose to Greece in the OQT finals. While partying at the popular Bolivar Beach Bar, Zubac got into a physical altercation with a man before being accosted by the bar’s security.
Ivica Zubac & Dario Saric were involved in a bar fight 😳
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 8, 2024
(Via @TMZ_Sports )
pic.twitter.com/pdfaUrHxEl
NBA Players Involved in Overseas Brawl
As the situation escalated, Saric rushed into the mob to assist Zubac but was allegedly pushed by another worker. Video from onlookers showed the Nuggets’ newest signee being wrestled to the ground before both players were kicked out of the venue. Witnesses on the scene were mystified by what triggered it all, saying it all happened so quickly.
Saric and Zubac both played for the Croatian national team hours prior to the brawl. Zubac had 19 points and 13 rebounds in the contest and Saric added 14 of his own. The squad hasn’t made it to the sports world’s greatest stage since 2016. Nonetheless, both men have had prosperous careers with the national program.
In 2010 and 2012, Šarić won the European U-16 and U-18 championships, and in 2015, Zubac’s U-19 team took home a silver medal.
Zubac Gets Candid on Lakers Trade
Zubac entered the league in 2016. He was selected in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. Zubac was having arguably his best season with the Lakers in the 2018-19 but was suddenly traded at the February deadline. Even more eerie was the fact that he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, who play in the same building as the Lakers.
But all things considered, the trade could have gone a lot worse for Zubac. The only thing that changed for him was his jersey.
“Didn’t move. The crazy part is, we were playing Boston when I was with the Lakers, we had a shootaround,” Zubac said.
“We were supposed to play Boston that night, I get traded after shootaround. I get a call, I look up the Clippers’ schedule. They’re playing Indiana that night, and they’re flying to Boston tomorrow. I didn’t even switch hotels or anything. Stayed in the same hotel. Played the game in Boston, went back to LA, same house, same everything. Easiest trade ever.”