Serge Ibaka is a Congolese professional basketball player who plays power forward for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association. A 30 year old shot blocking specialist, Ibaka has been a part of some of the best teams of his generation, leaving his mark on basketball history by contributing in high-leverage spots against other elite basketball teams.
Before Serge Ibaka got to the NBA, he played professional basketball overseas in France and Spain. But he finally got the chance to play at the highest level of the sport when he was taken with the 24th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Seattle Supersonics. Being drafted by the Sonics meant the chance to play alongside Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook after he was stashed away in Spain until 2009.
When Ibaka returned, the SuperSonics became the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Ibaka played well in limited action in his rookie season with OKC. Ibaka made over half of his shots from the field in his first year, and averaged over a block a game, proving right away that he was a capable rim protector.
As the young core of the Thunder grew together, Ibaka and the rest of the team made deep runs in the playoffs. In 2012, Ibaka reached the NBA Finals for the first time after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. The Thunder fell short at the final hurdle that postseason, losing in the Finals to the Miami Heat. But Ibaka finished second to New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler in defensive player of the year voting that season, and became a valuable commodity to the point that the Thunder kept Ibaka over James Harden when the time came to pay one over the other as a free agent.
Ibaka continued to make an impact in subsequent seasons for the Thunder, setting his career-high in blocks with 11 against the Nuggets and rebounds with 22 against the Mavericks during his time on the team. In 2016, as free agency loomed for Ibaka, the Thunder elected to trade him to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and Domantas Sabonis. It was a move to a lower profile franchise for Ibaka, who went from nationally televised playoff games on ESPN and TNT with the Thunder to less glamorous competition.
Ibaka was traded again in 2017, this time to the Toronto Raptors. There, Ibaka teamed up with the likes of Marc Gasol, Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard and saw more meaningful playoff action once again. In 2019, Ibaka and the Raptors earned the Raptors their first title by defeating the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors in six games.
Toronto was also the home of some personal milestones for Ibaka. He set his career-high in points with 34 in 2018 against the Los Angeles Lakers. He also set a personal record with a sixth straight double-double against the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019.
In international competition, Ibaka plays for the Spanish national team. He helped Spain win the gold in the 2011 FIBA European Championship, and won a silver medal in the Olympics with Spain in the 2012 games.
Serge Ibaka signed a three year, $64 million deal with Toronto in 2017. He is in the final year of his current contract. Ibaka has earned approximately $120 million in NBA contract dollars in his career, and has an estimated net worth of $12 million. That number could very well climb, depending on what his next contract is worth.
As far as endorsements are concerned, Ibaka has several of them to fall back on. He endorses Adidas, Panini and clothing company Nobis to supplement the earnings that he gets from his NBA career.
Ibaka was born in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, and was one of 18 siblings in his family. His father was taken as a political prisoner during war in his home country, while his mother passed away early in his life. Ibaka has a daughter named Ranie, who he had during his teen years.
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