LA CLIPPERS MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 2, 2023

Ivica Zubac

Terance Mann

Press Conference

Q. Zu, Mason was just up here with Norm, and Norm said that Mason is going to be shooting some threes this year. I think they might have been joking, but have you and Ty talked about that yet this season?

IVICA ZUBAC: No.

TERANCE MANN: You're not going to shoot any?

IVICA ZUBAC: We'll see. I doubt it.

Q. You've always kept a good attitude, been able to step up, no matter where you've been thrown in. What would you say your role is on this team going into the new season?

TERANCE MANN: Wherever. Whatever. I don't care.

Q. As two of the longest tenured Clippers that have been on the team, what is the culture that's been built, and how have you seen that ebb and flow as long as you've been here?

TERANCE MANN: I think for me, just like the brotherhood atmosphere that I got here that it started with, we continue to impose that. We continue to hold everybody accountable. We continue to hold the rookies accountable as best we can from when I got here.

Just the continuity, the consistency of the brotherhood is special still.

IVICA ZUBAC: Yeah, whatever T Mann said. It's been like a family ever since I got here, and it all started with guys like Lou Will, Pat Bev, Trez and all those guys. Since they've left, we've tried to carry it over, and I feel like that's the theme of our team.

We're like a big family, and we try to keep each other accountable and try to go out there and do our best.

Q. I'm curious with some of the contract situations being what they are on this team, how long this team has been together, do you guys feel like this is a championship-or-bust year? Is that the right mentality this year or is it something else?

IVICA ZUBAC: I mean, our goal since we got this team together was a championship, so we're still all together in this. We're all pretty much the same theme this year, and we know what we've got to do. We know our goal is a championship. I think our team is good enough to do it. It's just a matter of health all these years for us.

Kind of tired of saying it, like if we're healthy we have a good chance. It's just time to stop talking about it, go out there, try to play the most games we can, try to be the best team we can be in the regular season, and go for it.

Q. Everybody has been talking glowingly of Russ so far. What is his role on the team this year, and how can he help you guys?

TERANCE MANN: I think Russ has been a great leader since he got here day one, minute one. He holds all of us accountable, and that's kind of what we really need, and it's perfect for me and I'm sure for Zu.

IVICA ZUBAC: Yeah, Russ has been great for us, being a leader since day one. Helps the guys a lot with his confidence -- with guys' confidence, his pushing you to be better. And for me, playing with Russ has been great.

Q. Zu, T-Lue said you probably won't get more opportunities to handle the ball in the post. What does that mean for you, because you've never really been (indiscernible) post and you've known this. Why do you feel like that could be a more consistent part of this team's identity?

IVICA ZUBAC: I think I proved last year that I can do it at a high level, play in the post, and I had a really good summer working on that, working on finishing with my left and right.

I think it can be something for this team when we're in a slump or when the guys are not playing games, I think it can be something that we can go to a little more that can help us score some buckets.

Q. Terance, obviously you're ready to do anything from a role and positional standpoint, but what did you really get out of this summer to feel like you can take the next step, especially on the offensive end, with what you want to do on the court?

TERANCE MANN: I think just shooting the ball, just continuing improving shooting the ball, having confidence seeing it go in, and just being that extra player on the floor to space the floor out.

Q. Terance, you became extension eligible within the last 24 hours. Have there been any talks ongoing between your representatives and the Clippers, and would you be open to signing one?

TERANCE MANN: I don't know anything about that. But I guess we'll see, yeah. Open? I've been here five years; of course I would be open to it.

Q. Can you explain more specifically how Russ has helped you guys on the court?

TERANCE MANN: For me, obviously confidence-wise, just going out there, watching him play with so much confidence no matter what anybody says about him and how strong he is mentally was definitely something I took out of his book, just being able to shut out the noise and play your game. That's mainly what I took out of it.

IVICA ZUBAC: I think like T-Mann said, confidence. That was the biggest key. There was a situation last year where I got a ball in the paint, I couldn't finish and I passed it out. He was like, I need you to shoot those, so every time you get a ball in the paint, I need you to go up and finish.

I don't care who you're passing to, if it's Kawhi or PG, they're going to get their shots. I need you to finish in the paint. Every time I have a turnover, he's like, I don't care. If you don't catch the ball I'm going to throw it again, every time. I'm going to make the right play. I believe in you. I think confidence was the biggest thing that helped me with.

Q. You mentioned like Russ kind of shutting the noise out. How do you guys handle social media?

TERANCE MANN: I mean, NBA Twitter social media sucks. It's s---. Like misery loves company. Everybody is out there talking bad about people. Talking s--- on people. It sucks, so I don't really go on there and I don't really check it.

Yeah, I mean, I learned from my vets. They told me they don't go on there, they don't check it, and their mental seems pretty good, so I do the same thing. I follow suit.

But I think it sucks and it's s---. How many trades you see on there, how many that never happens, everybody says Dame is going to Miami. Did he go to Miami? No. You don't know what the hell is going on. I think it's just shitty. That's how I honestly feel.

IVICA ZUBAC: Yeah, whatever he said. I think it's terrible getting on social media. People turn on you so quick. One minute you play good, everyone is going to hype you up. Next game, literally next day you have a bad game or average game, just forget whatever you did before.

I try to not get on it, like no matter if I play good or bad. I don't care what people on social media say. I know what I think about my game. I'm critical about my game, people that I care opinions on about the basketball are not on social media, and that's all I care about.

Q. What have you guys seen from the young guys here, Kobe, Jordan, and K-Martin who all got here this summer. What have you seen from him?

TERANCE MANN: In terms of the rookies, I've seen a lot. They love to work. They're in here all the time. They both kind of remind me of myself when I first got here. They're a sponge. They ask questions. I think they're great.

And then KJ just brings a lot of energy to our team. He's been bringing a lot of energy on and off the court, so it's great to be around him.

IVICA ZUBAC: I haven't been around much this summer. I was back home. Did most of my work over there. I couldn't see much because I was not here, so hopefully next --

TERANCE MANN: Trust my word.

IVICA ZUBAC: I trust T-Mann. I've known him long enough. So I'll see in the next few weeks how they go about themselves, how they do on the court and stuff like that.

Q. Branching off of that, you made it very clear how you feel about fans on social media, but what is your message to fans that have been rooting for you and have been on this roller coaster ride with you the past few seasons?

IVICA ZUBAC: Want to apologize for getting their hopes up and falling short every year, but we're going to try it again. We're going to try to go out there. We're going to try to win this championship, the first championship for the Clippers.

I know it's been -- it never happened before, and I know it's been tough staying with us, supporting us throughout this year. I know we disappointed a lot of people with falling short, having those injuries, not being able to go out there every single night and not giving our best through the regular season.

We apologize for that, and my message is this year is going to be different. We're going to make sure that we do you guys proud.

Q. You guys have both played only professionally for the home team in Los Angeles. T, obviously you've been always a Clipper. Zu, you've been a Clipper and then you played for the L word. Coming up, this is the last season where you guys are playing for the home team in Staples/Crypto. Is there any nostalgia looking forward to this last season, and how excited are you to get into the dome?

TERANCE MANN: Yeah, I'm excited. I don't know about Zu, but I'm excited to be able to be somewhere new. Hopefully get treated better by the staff in the new place than in the Staples or the Crypto because they're all Lakers fans, or at least 90 percent of them.

You know, I'm excited for great vibes in the new spot. Great vibes.

IVICA ZUBAC: Yeah, I mean, I don't know what he's talking about staff. I think they like me. I think it's going to be good for us to have something that we can call our own, and I think it's going to be the best arena in the NBA.

It's going to be fun to play in that kind of arena, to have all those resources, and hopefully we're not going to have a lot of noon games on Sunday. Yeah, I think hopefully we'll get a better schedule, and having those resources, playing in the best arena in the NBA, that's going to be fun.

Q. What does it mean to have to play with the bigger wings and the bigger power forwards versus possibly playing with smaller lineups, faster lineups, guys like Terance possibly in that 4 spot?

IVICA ZUBAC: I mean, I don't think it changes much for me. I've still got to do my job. I know if it's T-Mann, he's going to be in there helping me rebound. He likes to steal my rebounds sometimes.

I think for me, it doesn't change much. Still got to protect the rim, still got to rebound, still got to clog the paint, still got to help the other guys to be talking defense. It's just another day for me.

Q. Terance, since you are a guy who depends on who you're on the floor with, that changes what your responsibilities are defensively. You missed very few games, like one game last year, you saw how up-and-down this defense was. This defense with the personnel that you guys have, what do you need to be successful on that end of the floor?

TERANCE MANN: I think just talk about it. Just have it on our minds more often than not, and having guys like Zu, more vocal, and just letting people know that he wants people to step up defensively and do better. And I think that'll help us, just guys being vocal and talking about it.