Serge Ibaka

Serge Ibaka's Biography

Serge Ibaka was born Ibaka Ngobila Jonas on September 18, 1989, in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo. He is the 15th of 18 children in the Ibaka family. His father was a national team player and his mother a basketball player. Therefore, he comes from a lineage of basketball players. His basketball pedigree and the constant encouragement from his parents got him into the sport early. His father organized for the family to flee the country prior to the war but ended up as a political prisoner upon their return. Ibaka continued to play basketball to cope with the tragic death of his mother and the subsequent imprisonment of his father during the Second Congo War.

At age 17, Ibaka moved to France to pursue his passion for basketball. He played for a second-division basketball team before moving to Spain, where he taught himself Spanish. While in Spain, he joined another second division club, CB L’Hospitalet where he averaged 10.8 points and led in rebounds with 8.2. He made impressions not only in the clubs but also in international showcases, where he picked up the MVP award at the Reebok Eurocamp which earned him attention from NBA scouts and got him on the draft list.

Ibaka was officially picked by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 24th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft, but continued to play in Europe. He later signed a three-year contract with Ricoh Manresa from the Spanish ACB. He then left to join the re-branded SuperSonics that relocated to Oklahoma City immediately after the draft. The Thunder team bought the buyout of Ibaka’s contract from Manresa.

At the Thunder, Ibaka proved himself a starter in the rotation. He was used due to his energy in the paint, either on defence or rebounding. Despite being a raw talent, he developed quickly and averaged 6.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. His strong performances earned him a spot in the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

When the NBA went through a lockout in 2011, Ibaka signed onto Real Madrid, where he played for two months. There, he played alongside Spanish national basketball team colleague and friend Rudy Fernandez. After the lockout ended, Ibaka went back to the NBA. He played all 66 games of the shortened season, leading in blocks per game.

Ibaka, however, really shone in the 2012–13 NBA season, where he lead the league in total blocks, while also scoring an average of 13.2 points and taking down 7.7 rebounds per match. His defensive efforts earned him the third place in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.

In June 2019, Ibaka won his first NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors team overcame the Golden State Warriors by six games during the NBA Finals. The experience was a memorable turning point in his career and he dedicated the victory to his family back home.

Ibaka took his talents to the Los Angeles Clippers in November 2020. He had a reunion with Kawhi Leonard, another Toronto Raptors champion who was also signed by the Clippers. Unfortunately, on 10 February 2022, Ibaka was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, but was waived by the Indiana Pacers two days later.

On 16 September 2023, Ibaka signed with Bayern Munich of the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) and the EuroLeague. His contribution to the team helped Bayern Munich achieve significant accomplishments. After a year at the German club, Ibaka parted ways with them in July 2024.

In the national level arena, Ibaka represented the Republic of Congo at the age of 17. He was the top scorer and led all players in rebounds with an average of 18.6 points and 13.8 rebounds, respectively. He received Spanish citizenship in 2011. His team took the gold medal in the EuroBasket 2011 and he won a Silver medal with Spain at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Off the court, Ibaka, who speaks four languages – Lingala, French, English, and Spanish – is known for his interests in cooking and fashion. He has a YouTube channel called “How Hungry Are You?” where he serves delicacies to his friends and teammates. In recognition of his fashion sense, Ibaka was named to Vanity Fair’s Best Dressed List in 2019, while his charity work includes his Serge Ibaka Foundation, which supports meal programs in Toronto.