Croatia's basketball team lost 80-69 to Greece in an Olympics qualifying match, and then after the game, the team's two star players, Dario Saric and Ivica Zubac, were involved in a nightclub brawl, which was located on the outskirts of Athens.
Ivica Zubac & Dario Saric were involved in a bar fight 😳
(Via @TMZ_Sports )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 8, 2024
According to TMZ, around 5:30 am. early Monday at Bolivar Beach Bar in Alimos, Denver Nuggets center Saric, 30, and Clippers center Ivica Zubac, 27, each were involved in a confrontation.
NBA players Ivica Zubac & Dario Saric were involved in a bar fight near Athens, Greece early this morning (around 5:30 AM local time) — following their game (Team Croatia) against Greece.
Much of the confrontation was caught on video.
At one point, another man seems to put Saric… pic.twitter.com/Y72trC76Mn— michael j. babcock (@mikejbabcock) July 8, 2024
Tensions were already rising, as the altercation happened just hours after Croatia lost to Greece, which ended their hopes at qualifying for the 2024 Olympics.
Ivica Zubac and some other Croatian players reportedly got into a fight with some drunk patrons at a local bar in Greece.
Zubac, pictured here, can be seen with blood on his knee.
(📸: @kdrisbiotis) pic.twitter.com/5pdwFdu1wz
— Andy (@AndyJPuente) July 8, 2024
In the Olympic qualifying tournament finals, Giannis Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 23 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. While the twin towers for Team Croatia each also put up a valiant effort in the loss, as Zubac had 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Saric contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds.
In regards to the fracas at the bar, the Croatian Basketball Federation (CBF) released a statement to TMZ, stating that the two big men were acting in self-defense.
"While hanging out at a club in Athens, some of our players were verbally and then physically attacked, prompting them to defend themselves," the CBF said to TMZ Sports. "The incident was brief, thanks to the quick intervention of the club's security staff."
Notably, Saric and Zubac both entered the NBA in 2016, and together have been the leaders of the Team Croatia basketball team, who last qualified for the Olympics during the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics.
Saric was the 12th overall pick in the 2014 Draft, and recently just signed a 2 year/$10.6 million contract with the Nuggets. The 30-year-old has averaged 10.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in 22 minutes per game throughout his career.
Ivica Zubac (left); Dario Saric (right)
Zubac was a second round selection in the 2014 Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, and he has spent his entire career in LA; currently under a three year/$33 million contract with the Clippers, the 27-year-old has averaged 10.0 points and 8.4 rebounds the past six seasons on the team.
