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Serge Ibaka

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» Monday, November 5 2012

Later, Durant chewed out Serge Ibaka for failing to grab a rebound. And of course there was the usual head-shaking between Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins whenever the paint went left unprotected. The problem is everyone has an opinion and everyone is sharing it. It can’t be that way. There should be two voices on the court. Durant’s. And Westbrook’s. Everyone else needs to fall in line. What’s happening now is that everyone is acting like they know best, almost like they’re the reason for the team’s success, like their poop doesn’t stink and the man’s next to them does. And you can’t help but wonder how much of the attitude has to do with last year’s success and whether it will soon subside or only fester and grow fangs. Oklahoman

 

» Thursday, October 25 2012

 

» Tuesday, October 2 2012

 

» Tuesday, September 11 2012

Before he blossomed into the NBA's leading shot blocker, Ibaka went through parts of life living without running water or electricity. At times, shoes had to be lined with cardboard to cover holes in the soles. “It feels like two days ago, and now I have $50 million,” Ibaka said at a news conference Monday announcing his lucrative four-year contract extension with the Thunder. “So life is really, like, I don't know how to say it in English but … unbelievable.” Oklahoman

 

» Monday, September 10 2012

It was mostly your standard “we’re excited” “I’m excited” “you’re excited” type of presser, but Ibaka did want to make something clear: He’s a fan of money. He has 18 brothers and sisters, he likes clothes and he’s a human being with a brain. Of course he likes money. It’s just that it isn’t the most important thing to him, at least not when it came to signing his extension with the Thunder. “Man, I’m going to tell you,” he said with that awesome rapid fire African accent, “you know, money is very important too. It’s important for everybody here. Because everybody wants to work hard to have a good life. Same like you. But also, it’s not the only thing. Money will not make you happy. It’s most important that you need to be happy. You need to do something you want to do. I have a contract right now that will help me, my family, everything. But it’s not all.” DailyThunder.com

The ink barely dried on Ibaka’s extension before people started turning to James Harden’s situation. And with Ibaka proactively talking about money and his decision not to chase every penny, it makes one wonder: Did he do that with Harden in mind? Does he feel like he left money on the table? “Man, that’s something I was wishing [to get a new contract],” Ibaka said. “I don’t want to think about to give up or to not. It was most important for me to stay. If you be thinking about you give up or no, it can’t work like that. If you want to do something with your heart, you need to forget about if I would give or give up. Just do it for your happiness. And I’m very happy.” DailyThunder.com

 

» Sunday, September 2 2012

After the Olympics, some reports said you were unhappy with the National Team and you were thinking about not coming back. Serge Ibaka: It's false, totally false. How could I not want to come back if I was the one who wanted to play with Spain in the first place? I don't want to leave the National Team, I've always said and I will always say that I am and I will be very proud, from the bottom of my heart, about being able to play and represent Spain. Marca.com

Were you upset about your role on the team? Ibaka: The most important thing is winning. You can't always play well and when you don't play well or you don't have a good game, you're very upset with yourself, not with your teammates. I've had a great time with them. They respect me because of my work, because of how hard I work and my effort. I feel proud about that. This is a National Team, it's quite different to a club. Here you're two months together and the relationship is good with everyone. They have helped from Day 1. Marca.com

 

» Saturday, September 1 2012

Luis Fernando Lopez: Ibaka tells Marca "it's totally false" that he thought about quitting the National Team following the Olympics. It's totally true that the day before the final he said he wouldn't return if Scariolo continued (as head coach). Twitter

 

» Tuesday, August 28 2012

Gasol talked to The Times recently from the African nation of Chad, where he’s centering his immediate focus working as a UNICEF ambassador this week in Sahel region. Nonetheless, Gasol remained concerned enough about the Olympic future of a key teammate. Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka indicated to Spanish reporters that he was unhappy about his limited role in London and added that he may not even play in the 2016 Games. “We hope Serge can be part of the national team for many years,” said Gasol, who averaged a team-leading 19.1 points per game on 57% shooting. “He brings so many special unique set of skills to the table.” Los Angeles Times

Gasol conceded he hasn’t spoken with Ibaka since the Olympics about his reduced role. But he believes Ibaka needed to better understand the team dynamic. “We were very talented and we were very deep. There’s so many other great players,” Gasol said. “Some days you’ll play a little more. Some days you’ll play better. Some days you won’t. But at the end of the day, what matters is the team success. … He’s only 22 or 23. He has many years ahead of him. It’s good he has a desire and hunger. But he needs to understand the facts and circumstances of the moment and the needs long-term.” Los Angeles Times

 

» Saturday, August 25 2012

 

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