Serge Ibaka has blocked shots in NBA Finals, stood on Olympic podiums for Spain and served guests fried insects on his own internet show. His route there began in Brazzaville.
Ibaka was born in 1989 in Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of the Congo. Both his parents played basketball, and he took up the game as a boy.
War and loss
His childhood was hard. Congo went through civil war in the late 1990s, and his mother died when he was young. He has spoken about the difficult years of his youth and how basketball gave him a way forward.
To Spain
As a teenager, Ibaka moved to Europe to play professionally. He played in Spain, where he developed quickly. The Seattle SuperSonics drafted him in 2008, and he joined the team after it moved and became the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Oklahoma City
With the Thunder, alongside Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, Ibaka became one of the best shot-blockers in the NBA. He led the league in blocks in more than one season and was named to the All-Defensive First Team several times. The Thunder reached the NBA Finals in 2012.
Olympics for Spain
Ibaka became a Spanish citizen and played for Spain’s national team. He won silver at the 2012 London Olympics, when Spain lost the final to the United States, and bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Champion in Toronto
In 2019, Ibaka was part of the Toronto Raptors team, led by Kawhi Leonard and including Pascal Siakam, that beat the Golden State Warriors to win the franchise’s first NBA title. He played an important role off the bench.
How Hungry Are You?
Off the court, Ibaka built a following with his YouTube show How Hungry Are You?, in which he served teammates and celebrities unusual dishes, including insects and animal parts, and chatted with them as they tried to eat. The show revealed a playful side that fans loved.
Giving back
Ibaka set up a foundation to support children in Congo and has returned home often, running basketball camps and supporting education.
A career across continents
Congolese by birth, Spanish by passport, champion in Canada: Ibaka’s career is a map of modern basketball. Few players have won an NBA ring and two Olympic medals, and fewer still have made their teammates eat ants on camera.
