The Los Angeles Lakers took a risk when they selected Ivica Zubac with the 32nd pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He was considered something of an unknown, and it was rumored that his refusal to become a “draft and stash” prospect in Europe led to his draft stock falling. The Lakers, however, saw his skill and decided to take a chance on the young Croatian.
Zubac quickly became a fan favorite with his stellar play during the Las Vegas Summer League, and his stock only rose further when he revealed that he is working on reviving the sky hook, a shot that just may be the most unstoppable in NBA history. The Los Angeles Lakers Twitter account was kind enough to post a video of Zubac hitting the shot in practice today, and it’s a thing of beauty:
.@kaj33 visits yesterday, @ivicazubac throws in the baseline #SkyHook today pic.twitter.com/RmSIp4UADo
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 8, 2016
The sky hook was originally made famous by Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who stopped by practice yesterday to talk to the team and give Zubac a few pointers on the shot that he made famous.
Just weeks ago, Zubac told Lakers Nation the story behind his attempts to bring the sky hook back, and it appears that he has made excellent progress since then. If Zubac can effectively integrate the sky hook into his game it could become a major weapon.
Of course, hitting a sky hook in practice is one thing, but hitting it in a game situation is another. After the Lakers loss to the Denver Nuggets last night, coach Luke Walton mentioned that he plans to give Zubac more minutes in their next outing, which will take place Sunday night, once again against the Nuggets.
Should he hit one in a game it’s going to be a very welcome sight for Lakers fans, who haven’t seen a proper sky hook since Abdul-Jabbar graced the court at the Great Western Forum.