Last Updated on October 7, 2026 by Pedro Salcas
Ivica Zubac comes from a close Croatian family whose support has followed him from his childhood in Bosnia and Herzegovina to the NBA. Born on March 18, 1997, in Mostar and raised in Čitluk, Zubac is the oldest child of Ivan and Dijana Zubac. He grew up alongside two younger brothers, Antonio and Mario, and a younger sister, Maria-Anđela.
Zubac has since created a family of his own with longtime partner Kristina Prišč. The couple met in Zagreb in 2015, became engaged in the Bahamas in 2019 and married in Mali Lošinj in 2021. Their family entered a new chapter in February 2026 when they welcomed their first child, daughter Sienna Leina Zubac.
Family has remained particularly important to Zubac throughout a basketball journey that has taken him from Croatia and Serbia to the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers and Indiana Pacers. Here is everything publicly known about Ivica Zubac’s wife, daughter, parents, brothers, sister and wider basketball family.
Who Is Ivica Zubac’s Wife?
Ivica Zubac’s wife is Kristina Prišč Zubac. The couple has been together since 2015, meaning their relationship began before Zubac entered the NBA.
Ivica and Kristina met in Zagreb through mutual friends. At the time, Zubac was still a teenager trying to establish himself as a professional basketball player in Europe.
The relationship quickly became serious.
When Zubac left Croatia to play for Mega Leks in Serbia, Kristina moved with him. She later made an even larger commitment when the Los Angeles Lakers selected Zubac in the 2016 NBA Draft and she relocated to the United States with him.
Zubac has publicly credited Kristina with making that difficult transition considerably easier. Moving to Los Angeles at 19 meant adapting to a new country, language, league and lifestyle while living thousands of miles away from his family.
Having Kristina alongside him provided a sense of stability during those early NBA years.
Who Is Kristina Prišč Zubac?
Kristina Prišč Zubac is originally from Croatia and has a background in journalism, business and equestrian sport.
She earned a degree in journalism and has also been involved in entrepreneurial projects.
Horse riding has been another major part of her life. Kristina began riding when she was young and continued training after relocating to California.
During the couple’s years in Los Angeles, she trained in show jumping at an equestrian club near the city.
Although her husband’s NBA career naturally receives more international attention, Kristina has developed her own public profile in Croatia through fashion, lifestyle, equestrian sport and business interests.
How Did Ivica Zubac and Kristina Prišč Meet?
Ivica Zubac and Kristina Prišč met in Zagreb in 2015 after being introduced through mutual friends.
Zubac was approximately 18 years old at the time, while Kristina was 23.
The timing was significant because Ivica’s basketball career was beginning to accelerate rapidly.
Within a relatively short period, he moved from Zagreb to Serbia and then entered the 2016 NBA Draft.
Kristina remained alongside him throughout those changes.
When the Lakers drafted Zubac with the 32nd overall pick, the couple moved to Los Angeles together.
In a 2017 interview, Zubac described how much Kristina helped him with everyday life in the United States and admitted that adjusting to the NBA would have been much harder without her.
When Did Ivica Zubac Get Engaged?
Ivica Zubac proposed to Kristina in the Bahamas in February 2019.
The proposal came approximately four years after they began dating.
It was also an eventful period in Zubac’s basketball career. Around the same time, he had moved from the Lakers to the LA Clippers, meaning the couple was experiencing both major professional and personal changes.
They initially planned to hold their wedding earlier, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted those plans.
The wedding was eventually rescheduled for 2021.
When Did Ivica Zubac and Kristina Get Married?
Ivica Zubac and Kristina Prišč married on August 21, 2021, in Mali Lošinj, Croatia.
The ceremony took place at the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Afterward, the celebration continued at Hotel Bellevue in Čikat Bay.
Approximately 180 guests attended the wedding, including relatives, friends and figures connected to basketball and Croatian entertainment.
The wedding came six years after Ivica and Kristina began their relationship.
By that point, they had already experienced several major moves together and had built a home in California while Zubac developed into the Clippers’ starting center.
Does Ivica Zubac Have Children?
Yes. Ivica Zubac and his wife Kristina have one publicly confirmed child, a daughter named Sienna Leina Zubac.
Sienna is the couple’s first child.
Kristina revealed during her pregnancy that they were expecting a girl, but the couple deliberately kept the baby’s name private until after she was born.
They explained that they had chosen an international name with special meaning to them rather than a traditional Croatian name.
Sienna Leina Zubac
Sienna Leina Zubac was born on February 5, 2026, in Los Angeles.
Ivica and Kristina subsequently shared photographs of their newborn daughter and publicly revealed her full name.
Her arrival came during an extraordinary period in Zubac’s life.
On the same day that Sienna was born, the Clippers were completing negotiations that would send Ivica to the Indiana Pacers.
Zubac later explained that he was at home learning how to use a bottle warmer as a new father when he received a call from Clippers president Lawrence Frank warning him that a trade was likely.
Shortly afterward, Indiana acquired Zubac and Kobe Brown in a major trade with Los Angeles.
That meant Zubac effectively experienced two life-changing events almost simultaneously: becoming a father for the first time and leaving the NBA city where he had spent nearly a decade.
Ivica Zubac Becoming a Father
Fatherhood had been something Ivica and Kristina wanted for some time.
Before her pregnancy, Kristina publicly discussed the couple’s desire to have children and expressed hope that they would start a family in the near future.
Their wish became reality during the 2025-26 NBA season.
For Zubac, Sienna’s arrival also changed the circumstances surrounding his move to Indiana. Instead of relocating simply as an NBA player and husband, he was beginning the next chapter of his career as a first-time father.
The Indiana Pacers highlighted that unusual timing when welcoming Zubac to the organization.
Who Are Ivica Zubac’s Parents?
Ivica Zubac’s parents are Ivan Zubac and Dijana Zubac.
They raised four children in Čitluk in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ivica, Antonio, Mario and Maria-Anđela.
The family has Croatian roots, and Ivica grew up strongly connected to Croatian culture and basketball despite being born in Mostar.
Both parents played important roles in supporting their oldest son’s ambitions even when those ambitions required him to leave home at a very young age.
Ivica Zubac’s Father: Ivan Zubac
Ivan Zubac is Ivica Zubac’s father.
Basketball was already part of the family through Ivan, who played the sport himself.
Although he did not reach the professional level achieved by his son, his experience gave Ivica an early connection to basketball.
Ivan is also exceptionally tall, standing around two meters, which helps explain some of the extraordinary height found throughout the Zubac family.
Ivica eventually grew to approximately seven feet tall, while his younger brothers also became unusually tall.
The family’s home in Čitluk was even constructed with unusually high doorways because of Ivan’s height.
How Ivan Zubac Influenced Ivica’s Basketball Career
Ivan supported his son’s basketball ambitions from an early age.
Ivica began playing basketball as a child and gradually demonstrated that his size was accompanied by genuine coordination and skill.
The family also had another example showing that reaching the NBA was possible.
Former NBA player Zoran Planinić is Ivica’s cousin and comes from the same region.
Seeing a relative from a small community in Herzegovina reach the NBA made a powerful impression on the young Zubac.
Ivan and the rest of the family allowed Ivica to pursue increasingly serious basketball opportunities even though it meant leaving home.
At approximately 14 years old, Zubac moved to Zagreb to continue his basketball development.
That decision separated him from his parents and younger siblings during much of his adolescence.
Ivica Zubac’s Mother: Dijana Zubac
Dijana Zubac is Ivica Zubac’s mother.
She has become the more publicly visible of his parents, particularly through Croatian and Bosnian media.
Dijana has frequently spoken about raising four exceptionally tall children and the unusual experience of watching her oldest son leave home as a teenager before eventually reaching the NBA.
She has recalled that Ivica was an unusually large baby from birth.
Because their hometown of Čitluk did not have the necessary hospital facilities, Dijana traveled to Mostar to give birth to him.
His size was noticeable immediately and ultimately foreshadowed the physical stature that would become central to his basketball career.
Dijana Zubac and Her Son’s NBA Career
When Ivica first entered the NBA, the time difference between Los Angeles and Bosnia and Herzegovina created difficult viewing schedules for his family.
Dijana, Ivan and the younger children nevertheless stayed awake late at night or woke up early to watch Lakers games online.
During Ivica’s rookie season, the family sometimes watched games beginning in the early hours of the morning without knowing whether he would receive significant playing time.
Dijana later traveled to Los Angeles with some of the younger children to visit him.
She brought an important piece of home with her by cooking familiar dishes, including traditional meals that Ivica missed while living in California.
Dijana Zubac and MasterChef
Dijana later gained public attention of her own through Croatian television after appearing on MasterChef.
Cooking had long been an important part of family life.
She has discussed the meals her children enjoy when they return to the family home, including dishes such as moussaka and lasagna.
Dijana has also revealed that her daughter Maria-Anđela inherited more of her interest in cooking than her three sons.
Her television appearance gave basketball fans a different perspective on the woman who had spent years supporting an NBA player from thousands of miles away.
How Many Siblings Does Ivica Zubac Have?
Ivica Zubac has three younger siblings: two brothers, Antonio and Mario Zubac, and a sister, Maria-Anđela Zubac.
Ivica is the oldest of Ivan and Dijana Zubac’s four children.
All four grew up in Čitluk, although Ivica moved away during his teenage years to pursue basketball.
His siblings remained closely connected to his career and have visited him in the United States.
Antonio Zubac
Antonio Zubac is one of Ivica Zubac’s younger brothers.
Antonio is also exceptionally tall and played basketball when he was younger.
Reporting from the Zubac family’s hometown described Antonio as nearly as physically imposing as his NBA brother.
At one point, Antonio wore size 53 shoes, compared with Ivica’s size 55.
Although basketball formed part of his youth, Antonio did not follow Ivica into an NBA career.
Later reporting about the family stated that Antonio became involved with the family business alongside his parents.
Because he is not a major public sports figure, information about his private adult life remains relatively limited.
Mario Zubac
Mario Zubac is Ivica’s other younger brother.
Like Ivica and Antonio, Mario grew up playing basketball.
He was still very young when Ivica entered the NBA, and he traveled to Los Angeles with their mother during Ivica’s rookie season.
The Los Angeles Times documented Mario attending games and exploring the city with Kristina while visiting his older brother.
At the time, Mario was considerably less impressed than his mother when fans repeatedly stopped Ivica for photographs because those interruptions sometimes delayed the family’s activities.
Mario continued playing basketball as he became older, maintaining the sport’s place within the Zubac household.
Maria-Anđela Zubac
Maria-Anđela Zubac, also referred to publicly as Anđela or Marija-Anđela, is Ivica Zubac’s younger sister.
She is the only daughter of Ivan and Dijana.
Maria-Anđela visited Los Angeles with her mother and brother during Ivica’s early NBA career and appeared with the family after a Lakers game.
Unlike her brothers, she has not pursued a prominent basketball career.
More recent comments from Dijana indicate that Maria-Anđela shares her mother’s interest in cooking.
She has otherwise maintained a private life away from the international attention attached to her brother.
Ivica Zubac Comes From an Exceptionally Tall Family
Height is one of the most distinctive characteristics of the Zubac family.
Ivica stands approximately seven feet tall, but he is far from the only unusually tall member of the household.
His father Ivan is around two meters tall, while his mother Dijana is also considerably taller than the average woman.
Antonio and Mario inherited the same family genetics.
Reporting from Čitluk famously described the enormous shoe sizes worn by the three brothers and the unusually high doors constructed in the family’s home.
The physical traits gave Ivica obvious potential for basketball, but height alone did not guarantee a professional career.
His development required leaving his family early and competing against increasingly experienced players throughout Croatia and Serbia.
Ivica Zubac’s Cousin Zoran Planinić
The Zubac family has another important NBA connection through former professional player Zoran Planinić.
Planinić is Ivica Zubac’s cousin.
He was selected by the New Jersey Nets with the 22nd overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft and played three seasons in the league before enjoying a successful career in Europe.
For a young Ivica growing up in a small community in Herzegovina, Planinić represented proof that reaching the NBA was possible.
Zubac has explained that he was approximately six years old when his cousin went to the NBA.
He did not fully understand the league at that age, but he understood that someone from his own extended family and local area had accomplished something extraordinary.
How Zoran Planinić Inspired Ivica Zubac
Planinić remained connected to his younger relatives when he returned home during summers.
Ivica has recalled how his older cousin would take him, his brother and other relatives swimming or play basketball with them.
To the younger children, spending time with an NBA player made them feel important.
Those experiences helped spark Ivica’s own ambition.
Years later, Zubac became the next member of the extended family to reach the NBA and ultimately built a significantly longer NBA career.
Ivica Zubac Left His Family at a Young Age
One of the most difficult parts of Zubac’s path was leaving Čitluk while still a teenager.
His basketball potential required competition and coaching that were not readily available in his small hometown.
At around 14, he moved to Zagreb.
For Dijana, seeing her oldest child leave home that young was difficult, but the family understood that the move could provide opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable.
Zubac continued developing with Croatian clubs and eventually joined Cibona Zagreb.
Later, after contractual complications in Croatia, he moved to Mega Leks in Serbia.
Kristina accompanied him during that period, while his parents and siblings remained in Čitluk.
Ivica Zubac’s Family Supported His NBA Dream
The Los Angeles Lakers selected Zubac with the 32nd overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
The move took him farther away from home than ever before.
He was only 19 years old when he relocated to California.
Kristina moved with him, while Ivan, Dijana, Antonio, Mario and Maria-Anđela continued following his career from Europe.
During that rookie season, video calls and online game streams became central to maintaining the relationship between Ivica and his family.
The distance was difficult, but Zubac quickly demonstrated enough potential to establish himself in the NBA.
From the Lakers to the Clippers
Zubac spent the beginning of his NBA career with the Lakers before being traded to the LA Clippers in February 2019.
The trade initially required little personal disruption because he remained in Los Angeles.
It ultimately became one of the most important moves of his career.
Zubac developed from a young reserve center into a dependable starter for the Clippers.
His rebounding, interior defense, screening and efficient finishing helped him remain an important part of the franchise for seven years.
During those Clippers years, his personal life also became increasingly settled.
He became engaged to Kristina, married her, purchased a home in Southern California and eventually prepared to become a father.
Ivica Zubac’s Family Life Changed Dramatically in 2026
February 2026 produced perhaps the most dramatic week of Zubac’s adult life.
On February 5, he and Kristina welcomed their first child, Sienna Leina.
At almost exactly the same time, trade negotiations involving the Clippers and Indiana Pacers were being finalized.
Indiana acquired Zubac and Kobe Brown in exchange for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson and multiple draft picks.
The trade ended Zubac’s decade-long connection to Los Angeles basketball, dating back to his arrival with the Lakers in 2016.
It also meant that Kristina and their newborn daughter would now be part of another major transition in his life.
Ivica Zubac Joins the Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers officially acquired Zubac in February 2026.
Indiana viewed him as an established NBA center capable of providing rebounding, interior defense and physicality.
When Zubac arrived at the Pacers’ training facility, much of the conversation naturally focused on basketball.
However, the team also acknowledged how unusual his circumstances were.
He was joining a new franchise only days after becoming a father for the first time.
Zubac described the week as overwhelming but expressed excitement about both his new daughter and the opportunity to begin another stage of his career in Indiana.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ivica Zubac’s Family
Who is Ivica Zubac’s wife?
Ivica Zubac’s wife is Kristina Prišč Zubac. They met in Zagreb in 2015, became engaged in the Bahamas in 2019 and married in Croatia in 2021.
Is Ivica Zubac married?
Yes. Ivica Zubac has been married to Kristina Prišč since August 21, 2021.
How did Ivica Zubac meet his wife?
Ivica and Kristina met through mutual friends in Zagreb in 2015. She subsequently moved with him to Serbia and then to Los Angeles when he joined the NBA.
What does Ivica Zubac’s wife do?
Kristina has a background in journalism and entrepreneurship and has also been involved in equestrian sport. She has trained in show jumping and maintained her interest in horses while living in California.
Does Ivica Zubac have children?
Yes. Ivica Zubac and his wife Kristina have one daughter, Sienna Leina Zubac.
Who is Ivica Zubac’s daughter?
Ivica Zubac’s daughter is Sienna Leina Zubac. She is the first child of Ivica and Kristina.
When was Ivica Zubac’s daughter born?
Sienna Leina Zubac was born on February 5, 2026, in Los Angeles.
Who are Ivica Zubac’s parents?
Ivica Zubac’s parents are Ivan Zubac and Dijana Zubac. They raised Ivica and his three younger siblings in Čitluk, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Who is Ivica Zubac’s father?
Ivica Zubac’s father is Ivan Zubac. Ivan also played basketball and supported his son’s development from childhood.
Who is Ivica Zubac’s mother?
Ivica Zubac’s mother is Dijana Zubac. She has frequently spoken publicly about his childhood and basketball journey and later appeared on MasterChef.
How many siblings does Ivica Zubac have?
Ivica Zubac has three younger siblings: brothers Antonio and Mario and sister Maria-Anđela.
Who are Ivica Zubac’s brothers?
Ivica Zubac’s younger brothers are Antonio Zubac and Mario Zubac. Both grew up playing basketball, although neither followed Ivica into an established NBA career.
Who is Ivica Zubac’s sister?
Ivica Zubac’s younger sister is Maria-Anđela Zubac, who is also referred to as Anđela or Marija-Anđela in Croatian and Bosnian coverage.
Is Zoran Planinić related to Ivica Zubac?
Yes. Former NBA and Croatian national-team player Zoran Planinić is Ivica Zubac’s cousin.
Did Ivica Zubac’s father play basketball?
Yes. Ivan Zubac played basketball, providing Ivica with an early family connection to the sport.
Where is Ivica Zubac’s family from?
The Zubac family is closely associated with Čitluk in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ivica was born in nearby Mostar but grew up in Čitluk and represents Croatia internationally.
Why was Ivica Zubac born in Mostar?
Zubac’s family lived in Čitluk, but his mother traveled to nearby Mostar to give birth because Čitluk did not have the hospital facilities required for the delivery.
What NBA team does Ivica Zubac play for?
As of now, Ivica Zubac plays for the Indiana Pacers. Indiana acquired him from the LA Clippers in February 2026 alongside Kobe Brown.
Was Ivica Zubac traded on the same day his daughter was born?
Yes. Sienna Leina was born on February 5, 2026, during the same extraordinary day on which the trade sending Zubac from the Clippers to the Pacers was completed.
Pedro Salcas is a dedicated sports journalist and NBA specialist focused on team strategy, player performance, and league news. Tracking action across the Eastern and Western Conferences, he breaks down complex game tape, roster moves, and statistics into clear, engaging analysis. From preseason storylines to deep playoff runs, Pedro brings a sharp analytical perspective and passion for basketball to keep readers informed on everything happening in the NBA.
