Ibaka was born in Brazzaville, People's Republic of the Congo (modern-day Republic of the Congo) on 18 September 1989 and is the third youngest of 18 children.[5][6] His father played basketball in the Republic of the Congo and with the Congolese national team, and his mother played for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ibaka started playing basketball at a very young age with his first club, Avenir du Rail, using the sport as an escape from his mother's untimely death and his father's imprisonment during the Second Congo War.[7] His father organized for the family to flee the country prior to the war, but ended up as a political prisoner upon their return.[6]
Professional career
Inter Club (2006)
After playing for the Avenir du Rail senior team, Ibaka later joined rival club Inter Club junior team. Ibaka preferred the club because of its better structure, as it provided sneakers and meals.[8] With Inter's senior team, Ibaka played in the 2006 FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup, the highest competition in Africa. There, he led the competition in rebounds and was named to the competition's All-Star Five.[9]
L'Hospitalet (2007–2008)
In March 2007, Ibaka moved to France at the age of 17 and joined a second-division basketball team before moving to Spain, where he taught himself Spanish.[10][6] In Spain, Ibaka soon began playing with a second-division basketball club CB L'Hospitalet. He averaged 10.8 points and 8.2 rebounds and shot 55%.[11]
In 2008, Ibaka entered several international showcases, picking up an MVP award at the Reebok Eurocamp[6] and the attention of NBA scouts. An NBA scout at one of the camps said that "athletically he's off the charts—there's no telling how good he can be".[11]
Manresa (2008–2009)
Ibaka in 2011
Ibaka was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 24th pick in the 2008 NBA draft. He became the first player from the Republic of Congo to be selected in the draft, although the Oklahoma City Thunder (the re-branded SuperSonics that relocated to Oklahoma City immediately after the draft) agreed to keep Ibaka in Europe. He then signed a three-year contract with Ricoh Manresa from the ACB League in Spain, keeping the option to leave for the NBA after each season. In the ACB, Ibaka averaged 7.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 16 minutes per game.
Oklahoma City Thunder (2009–2011)
In July 2009, the Thunder paid the buyout for Ibaka's deal with Manresa and signed him to a two-year contract with two more optional seasons.
Although coming to the NBA as a raw talent, Ibaka had managed to become a starter in the Thunder rotation. He was often used for his energy in the paint, whether on defense or rebounding. In his first NBA season, Ibaka played 18.1 minutes per game in 73 games, averaging 6.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. His blocks average led all rookies in the 2009–10 season, and he ranked number 20 overall. In the first round of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers, Ibaka played in six games, averaging 25.5 minutes, 7.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. His seven blocks during Game 2 in Los Angeles were a record, and Ibaka became the youngest player to have seven blocks in playoff game.
On 19 February 2011, Ibaka participated in the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.[12] He began the contest with a free-throw line dunk. In the second round, Ibaka grabbed a stuffed animal from the rim with his mouth and dunked in one motion. However, Ibaka lost out to Blake Griffin in the competition.[13]
After the lockout, Ibaka returned to the NBA from Spain. On 19 February 2012, he recorded his first career triple-double against the Denver Nuggets, scoring 14 points, grabbing 15 rebounds and getting a career-high 11 blocks.[17] Ibaka played all 66 games in the shortened season as a starter, averaging the most blocks in the league, 3.6 per game. In voting for the Defensive Player of the Year, he finished second behind Tyson Chandler of the New York Knicks.[18] In Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, Ibaka went 11–11 from the field. Oklahoma City went on to win the series in six games and advance to the 2012 NBA Finals. In the Finals, Ibaka averaged 7.0 points and 5.0 rebounds, but the Thunder fell to the Miami Heat in five games.
In August 2012, Ibaka signed a four-year deal worth $48 million with the Thunder.[19]
Ibaka and Ömer Aşık tip off Game 6 of the first round of the 2013 playoffs
During the 2012–13 NBA season, Ibaka upped his scoring average from 9.1 to 13.2. Ibaka also averaged 7.7 rebounds, and a league-leading 3.0 blocks. For his defensive efforts, Ibaka finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting, behind LeBron James and the winner, Marc Gasol. In the playoffs, the Thunder beat the Houston Rockets in six games but fell to the Memphis Grizzlies in five games. Ibaka averaged 12.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks in the postseason but shot only 43.7% from the field, a near 14% drop off from his regular season field goal percentage of 57.3%.
Ibaka in 2014
In 2013–14, Ibaka averaged career highs of 15.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, and led the league in total blocks (219) for the fourth straight season. In a series-clinching win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the conference semifinals, Ibaka suffered a left calf injury that was expected to sideline him for the remainder of the 2014 playoffs.[20] However, Ibaka returned in Game 3 against San Antonio Spurs in the Conference Finals. The Thunder eventually fell to the Spurs in six games as Ibaka averaged 12.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks throughout the playoffs. Ibaka was also named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the third consecutive year.
On 19 February 2015, Ibaka recorded 21 points and a career-high 22 rebounds in the 104–89 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.[21] On 17 March, he was ruled out for four to six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to address right knee soreness.[22]
On 4 January 2016, Ibaka scored a season-high 25 points in a loss to the Sacramento Kings.[23]
Orlando Magic (2016–2017)
On 23 June 2016, Ibaka was traded to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Victor Oladipo, Ersan İlyasova, and the draft rights to Domantas Sabonis, the 11th pick of the 2016 NBA draft.[24] He made his debut for the Magic in their season opener on 26 October, recording 14 points and seven rebounds in a 108–96 loss to the Miami Heat.[25] On 13 November, Ibaka scored a career-high 31 points and hit a game-winning baseline jumper to lead the Magic to a 119–117 victory over his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.[26]
Toronto Raptors (2017–2020)
Ibaka in 2018
On 14 February 2017, Ibaka was traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Terrence Ross and a future first-round draft pick (later used to draft Anžejs Pasečņiks).[27][28] He made his Raptors debut 10 days later, scoring 15 points in a 107–97 victory over the Boston Celtics.[29] On 21 March, against the Chicago Bulls, Ibaka was ejected after an altercation with Bulls' center Robin Lopez. The next day, Ibaka received a one-game suspension.[30]
On 7 July 2017, Ibaka re-signed with the Raptors to a reported three-year, $65 million contract.[31][32] On 10 January 2018, he was suspended for one game without pay for an altercation with James Johnson during a game against the Miami Heat a day earlier.[33]
On 4 November 2018, Ibaka made his first 14 shots on the way to a career-high 34 points in a 121–107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. He finished the game 15 of 17 from the field and became the first player to start a game 14 of 14 from the field since Shaquille O'Neal did it in February 2006.[34] On 3 February 2019, Ibaka had 16 points and 12 rebounds in a 121–103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, marking a career-best sixth straight double-double, Toronto's longest streak since Chris Bosh had eight in November 2009.[35] On 12 March, Ibaka was suspended for three games without pay due to an altercation with Marquese Chriss during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.[36]
On 5 February 2020, Ibaka hit a game winning three pointer to lead the Raptors to a 119–118 win over the Indiana Pacers, extending the Raptors' win streak to 12, a franchise record.[38]
Los Angeles Clippers (2020–2022)
On 25 November 2020, Ibaka signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.[39] He was reunited with former Raptors teammate Kawhi Leonard, both of whom were part of the 2018-19 championship squad. In his first game with the Clippers, Ibaka had 15 points and six rebounds in a 116–109 victory over the Lakers. On 24 February 2021, Ibaka recorded 21 points, nine rebounds, and six assists during a 128–111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.[40]
Ibaka speaks four languages: Lingala, French, English, and Spanish.[52]
Ibaka is a chef, and on his YouTube series How Hungry Are You?, Ibaka, who refers to himself as Mafuzzy Chef, has served numerous delicacies to his teammates, including beef penis to Kawhi Leonard[53] and lamb brain to the Raptors bench players.[54] Having experienced hunger and poverty during his childhood, he has also sponsored drop-in meal programs in Toronto through his Serge Ibaka Foundation.[55]
Ibaka is known for his sophisticated fashion. In 2019, Ibaka was named to Vanity Fair's Best Dressed List.[56] He refers to his sartorial efforts as “Art”.[57]
Ibaka has a daughter who was born shortly after he left the Republic of the Congo when Ibaka was still a teenager.[58] She was raised by her mother and Ibaka's father, with neither Ibaka nor his daughter knowing of each other until she was three years old. They met for the first time when she was five years old.[59] Ranie's mother conveyed the news to Desire, Ibaka's father, who chose to keep it a secret. Desire believed that if Ibaka were aware of his child at home, he might not have continued his basketball career. [60]
On 3 April 2017, Ibaka was announced as the newest member elected to the board of directors of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Foundation, the charitable arm of the NBPA which provides strategic funding and support for players' community engagement initiatives worldwide.[62]
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