Los Angeles Lakers rookie center Ivica Zubac has already captured the hearts of fans with his youthful exuberance and his skillful play on the court. The Croatian big man may only be 19, but he already possesses nimble feet and a soft touch around the rim.
Now, Zubac is attempting to use those skills to revive the sky hook, the shot perfected by Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. A few weeks ago, Zubac told Lakers Nation the story behind his desire to learn the shot and has been diligently working at it ever since. Today, it appears that Zubac got a sky hook lesson from Abdul-Jabbar himself via Zubac’s Twitter:
It was great to work on my skyhook with legend who mastered it!
— Ivica Zubac (@ivicazubac) October 7, 2016
It’s not an easy shot to use effectively, but during his day, Abdul-Jabbar turned the sky hook into an unstoppable weapon. If Zubac can indeed integrate it into his game, especially with help from Kareem himself, it could become a game changer for the rookie.
Still, patience is required. Zubac has a long way to go before he is ready to make an impact in the NBA, but his combination of skills provides optimism that he could be an excellent piece in the future. The Lakers signed Timofey Mozgov this summer and plan to have him around as their starting center for the foreseeable future. The hope is that as age eventually catches up to Mozgov, young Zubac will be coming into his own and be ready to take over.
Of course, that’s a while down the road. For now, let’s enjoy the development of this intriguing talent, and hope that he is successful in bringing back one of the most iconic shots in NBA history.