Sports
Ivica Zubac continues to play a big role in the Clippers' surging success
A half-dozen media members converged around the locker of Ivica Zubac late Monday night when one exceptionally tall person joined the scrum, too, pointing his phone’s camera at the Clippers center.
It was Zubac’s backup, Daniel Theis, who smiled before quickly leaving. The joke disguised the truth that the spotlight has never found Zubac more than in his eighth season, and sixth since joining the Clippers.
Zubac’s 19 points — making eight of his nine shots — and eight rebounds in a 138-111 rout of Phoenix at Crypto.com Arena came one night after he had 22 points with 19 rebounds during a loss to the Lakers. The longest-tenured Clipper, Zubac isn’t the focus in a locker room dominated by four future Hall of Fame teammates, but behind a career-high 65.6% shooting, averages that would set or match career-bests in rebounds (9.7), assists (1.3) and blocks (1.4) and a burgeoning pick-and-roll chemistry with point guard James Harden, Zubac has become as central to the Clippers’ 23-13 start as anyone with higher billing.
“I’ve always been confident,” Zubac said, “but right now it’s at a high level.”
As is the team’s confidence in the 26-year-old. When the Suns removed center Jusuf Nurkic in favor of a lineup of all wings midway through the third quarter, coach Tyronn Lue kept Zubac in for the next six minutes. The Clippers led by 11 when the Suns went small, and were still up 11 when Zubac went to the bench in the quarter’s final seconds.
Clippers forward Paul George, center, grabs a rebound between Phoenix’s Josh Okogie, left, and Jusuf Nurkic during the first half Monday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
It felt like a moment of coaching chicken, Lue and Frank Vogel waiting to see who would be the first to adjust. If in the past it might have been a cue for Lue to sub out Zubac, who rarely had a conventional defensive assignment, Lue said there were advantages to playing their big man.
“We just thought him around the basket was tough,” Lue said. “You could throw it up to him, we could post him, offensive rebounds, and I just thought that keeping him on the floor would be better defensively. And then offensively as well, if he’s setting pick and rolls and they’re switching, we can post Zu and can also get on the glass as well. And so it worked out for us.”
Even with all three of Phoenix’s superstars playing, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal were not enough to offset all five Clippers starters scoring in double figures, led by Paul George’s 25 points and seven rebounds. Kawhi Leonard scored 17 points. Harden scored 19 points with 10 assists and seven rebounds and Terance Mann continued his rebound from a poor shooting start to the season, making 10 of his last 18 three-pointers.
One night after the Lakers’ length led to 16 turnovers and the Clippers’ worst shooting performance of the season, the Suns watched the Clippers shoot 62% from the field, including 51% on three-pointers, making 15 of their 29 shots. A 15-0 run in the fourth quarter emptied all suspense, and led both coaches to empty their benches with four minutes to play.
One year ago, the Clippers entered the final weeks before February’s trade deadline with a priority to add depth at center after using stopgap measures at backup center. This season, the position is the strongest it has been in Leonard and George’s five-season era. Of 67 centers across the league who have appeared in at least 20 games, Zubac ranks eighth-best in the field-goal percentage allowed on shots he defends within six feet of the rim.
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant drives past Clippers guard James Harden during the first half Monday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Theis, signed in November to fill the void after Mason Plumlee sustained a torn MCL, has played so well that Plumlee — despite being in a contract year — approached the coaching staff after the team’s ninth consecutive win in late December to say that though he was close to a return, they should continue playing Theis so as to not upset the team’s established rhythm.
“I was just like, ‘Hey, I’m feeling good, I’m looking forward to coming back but at the same time I’m conscious of how well everything is going,’” Plumlee told The Times; he has since appeared in two games. “… I’ve been on the other side of it where I was playing my rookie year and my older player was like ‘Hey, he’s with the starting group, they’re playing well, let him burn,’ and it gave him some more time to get all the way back. I’ve been on both sides of it.
“If you know your value it’s like, I’m not self-conscious about getting DNPs. It’s given me more time to get my body right and everything.”
The Clippers believe Zubac deserves the credit for his confidence-raising season, and Harden’s influence is impossible to overlook, too.
Since joining the Clippers via trade in November, Harden has pulled aside Zubac, among others, after every shootaround for around 15 minutes of extra work on pick-and-rolls. It is not unusual for Harden to summon or shift Zubac screens with just a glance. Zubac is shooting 58% on attempts taken after a pass from Harden.
Harden and backup guard Russell Westbrook “are always looking for you and they kind of play old school like, they’re gonna reward their big, they’re gonna hit them on a roll, they’re gonna hit them on a deep seal, hit them in the dunker, and I love playing with guys like that,” Zubac said. “I really appreciate it. We work on it. We work on that two-man game almost after every shootaround. It’s been worthwhile for us.”
Sports
Chargers’ Justin Herbert gushes over Madison Beer in heartfelt birthday tribute: ‘Changed my life forever’
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Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert gushed over 27-year-old singer Madison Beer in a heartfelt birthday tribute on social media, offering fans a rare glimpse into the couple’s relationship.
The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback, who normally shies away from the public eye, posted a series of photos to his Instagram Stories on Thursday.
Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers warms up prior to a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at SoFi Stadium on Dec. 8, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
“Happy birthday to my favorite person of all time,” Herbert wrote in a post that showed the couple on the sidelines of one of his NFL games. “I love you so much. You’ve changed my life forever.”
In another photo appearing to show the couple out to dinner, Herbert wrote, “I am the luckiest guy alive…”
Herbert, who turns 28 later this month, shared another photo of the “Make You Mine” artist petting goats and captioned the photo, “My goats.”
The couple was first linked together in August when they were spotted together on the set of one of Beer’s music videos in Los Angeles. Herbert and Beer were photographed in October on the sidelines of a Chargers game at SoFi Stadium, seemingly confirming the dating rumors.
Quarterback Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers and singer Madison Beer attend an NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Oct. 24, 2025. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The same month, Herbert went viral after blocking a rogue basketball from hitting Beer when the two sat courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game.
Herbert signed a five-year, $262.5 million extension with the Chargers in July 2023. Despite proving himself to be one of the elite young quarterbacks in the NFL, Los Angeles’ offensive struggles have seen the team fall short in back-to-back playoff appearances.
Quarterback Justin Herbert (10) of the Los Angeles Chargers blocks a basketball from hitting Madison Beer as they attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Oct. 24, 2025. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
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The team’s offensive coordinator, Greg Roman, was fired in January and replaced with former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who is regarded as one of the top offensive minds in football.
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Sports
Shohei Ohtani’s second-inning grand slam propels Japan to a rout in World Baseball Classic opener
The last time Shohei Ohtani was seen wearing a World Baseball Classic uniform with “Japan” across his chest, he was striking out Mike Trout of the United States on a ninth-inning, full-count slider to give his country a victory in the championship game three years ago.
So much has happened in Ohtani’s life between then and now. He has a wife and a daughter, a new interpreter, a new Major League team, two World Series championships and three more Most Valuable Player awards.
Yet unforgettable WBC memories continue. This time, he delivered from the batter’s box instead of the pitcher’s mound.
In the second inning of Japan’s WBC opener against Chinese Taipei on Friday at the Tokyo Dome, Ohtani smacked a hanging curve a few feet over the right-field wall for a grand slam, triggering an offensive onslaught that resulted in a 13-0 victory.
“I thought it might land as an out, so above all, I really wanted to get the first run on the board,” Ohtani told reporters afterward.
Ohtani led off the game with a double and singled in his second at-bat of the second inning, when Japan put up a WBC-record 10 runs. He added a run-scoring single in the third inning, giving him five runs batted in.
In 2023, Ohtani hit and pitched Japan to the WBC title, batting .435 with eight RBIs and allowing only two earned runs in 9 2/3 innings on the mound. This year, he will only bat, saving his pitching for the Dodgers, who begin their quest for a third consecutive World Series title in three weeks.
Japan’s starting pitcher Friday was a decorated Dodger nevertheless. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, MVP of the 2025 World Series, threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings, walking three and striking out two while giving up no hits.
His command wasn’t pinpoint — he threw 53 pitches, 33 for strikes — but it is still spring training, even though the atmosphere was electric for Japanese players competing in front of a crowd of 42,314 that included actor Timothy Chalamet and superstar Bad Bunny.
“I know there will be some tough battles ahead, but if the fans and the team can unite and everyone can help build the excitement together, it will really encourage us,” Ohtani said.
Sports
Russell Wilson escalates feud with Sean Payton, labels Broncos coach ‘classless’
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Russell Wilson and Sean Payton spent just one NFL season together, but tension lingered after a rocky year.
And it appears the tension that built up from that tumultuous stretch continues to linger.
Wilson’s interview on the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast, recorded before last month’s Super Bowl between Seattle and New England, recently resurfaced.
In the interview, Wilson doubled down on his October comment labeling Payton “classless,” saying he felt slighted by his former coach’s remarks.
Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos talks to quarterback Russell Wilson on the sideline during an NFL preseason football game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium Aug. 11, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
“[When] you’ve been on the same side or this and that, and I got the same amount of rings as you got, meaning Sean, right?” said Wilson, who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks as Payton did coaching for the New Orleans Saints.
“I got a lot of respect for him as a play-caller, this and that, but to take a shot, I don’t like. I don’t think it’s necessary, you know, I mean, especially when I’m not even on your own team anymore. So, for me, there’s a point in time where you have to, I’ve realized, I’ve stayed quiet for so long. There’s a there’s a time and place where I’m not.
“I know who I am as a competitor, as a warrior, as a champion, too, and, you know, I’ve beaten Sean, too. You know, like we’ve been on the same place and the same thing. And so, it’s not a matter of disrespect. Just don’t disrespect me.”
Sean Payton and Russell Wilson of the Denver Broncos during an a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Empower Field at Mile High Nov. 19, 2023, in Denver, Colo. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
After a rocky one-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024, Wilson joined the New York Giants last offseason. However, he was relegated to a backup role after just three games.
Rookie Jaxson Dart quickly showed promise once he had the chance to start, but his season was briefly derailed by injury. Jameis Winston — not Wilson — stepped in for Dart in a handful of games. Dart threw three touchdowns in a Week 7 matchup with the Broncos, nearly pulling off an upset in what was eventually a close loss.
After the game, Payton said Dart provided a “spark” to the Giants’ offense.
“I was talking to [Giants owner] John Mara not too long ago, and I said, ‘We were hoping that that change would have happened long after our game,’” Payton said.
The New York Giants’ Russell Wilson attempts to escape a sack by Dallas Cowboys defensive end James Houston (53) in the first half of a game Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Payton also said the Broncos would have faced less of a challenge had Wilson been under center.
“Classless … but not surprised,” Wilson responded in a social media post. “Didn’t realize you’re still bounty hunting 15+ years later though the media.”
Despite last season’s struggles and chatter about his football future, Wilson does not appear ready to call it quits in 2026.
“I wanna play a few more years for sure,” he said. “I think, for me, I’ve always had the vision of getting to 40, at least. I think the game is different. Quarterbacks, we get hit. It’s not, you know, we get hit hard, but … there’s certain rules. I mean, back in the day when I started, bro, it was you just get [clobbered].
“I mean, so I feel like the game allows you to, you know, live a little longer, I guess. I feel healthy. I feel great. But I think, more than anything else is, do you love the game? Do you love studying? Do you love the passion for it all? Do you love the process? Do you love the practice? Do you love — everybody loves the winning part of it, but it’s process. There’s a journey that you got to be obsessed with. And that part I’m obsessed with.”
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