Tag: Serge Ibaka

Serge Ibaka calls out former teammate Kendrick Perkins for ugly, unfair accusation of age fraud

“It is disrespectful to me and I feel like it is disrespectful to many Africans who have to live with that unfounded accusation.”

During an ESPN broadcast, former NBA center Kendrick Perkins made a tasteless joke at the expense of Milwaukee Bucks big man Serge Ibaka.

Perkins was discussing his time in Oklahoma City with Ibaka and other former teammates Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. He noted how each player was either 23 years or younger before the 2011-12 campaign.

He then alleged that Ibaka was “probably 30 at the time” because “certain individuals lie” about their age.

This was not the first time, however, Ibaka has confronted such claims. During his free agency period in 2017, Ibaka rebuked ugly stereotypes about Africans with a heartfelt social media statement.

Here is part of what he said at the time:

“Iā€™m sad that to this day there are still prejudices based on your origin and, as Africans, sometimes we need to take a stand.

I was born in the capital of the Republic of Congo, Brazzaville. A city with a population bigger than 1 million. A city with hospitals, a civil registry and an administration. I was born in a caring, loving and united family. I was not born in the jungle.”

Perkins’ gross comments reinforced these unfounded allegations and now, five and a half years later, the NBA veteran had to confront this once again.

He tweeted that it was especially “disappointing” for someone that he shared a locker room with for so long (they appeared on the court together for more than 6,000 minutes while in Oklahoma City) to spread “misinformation” for the sake of maintaining relevancy.

Ibaka added that he would have no problem with Perkins for criticizing his game or on-court performance, but that those comments in particular were “unfounded” and “disrespectful” both to him and to other Africans.

The big man said that he works very hard to maintain his status in the league and was disappointedĀ but not surprised that Perkins said what he did. Ibaka then accused Perkins of “breaking the locker room code” and “spreading lies” about both Durant and Westbrook.

He also added that Perkins was “not a locker room leader” when he played professional basketball and that he does not handle the responsibilities of his current job with class or dignity.

Perkins responded to Ibaka, telling him to stop being so sensitive and that he was joking. He also apologized but he then cryptically alluded to undisclosed decisions that Ibaka made while on the Thunder.

There are very few confirmed cases of age fraud in recent NBA history and it is sad to see Perkins continue to spread misinformation about Ibaka and then try to pass it off as nothing more than a harmless joke.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t believe he alone is the face of the NBA, and he’s right

There’s too much talent for there to be one face.

Welcome to Layup Lines, our basketball newsletter where weā€™ll prep you for a tip-off of tonightā€™s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe hereĀ to get itĀ delivered to your inbox every afternoon.

Giannis Antetokounmpo believes heā€™s one of the faces of the NBA. But the man who has as many individual awards as anyone the past five years doesnā€™t believe he’s alone in holding that title.

The subject was broached during Antetokounmpo’s appearance on teammate Serge Ibakaā€™s YouTube show How hungry are you? And while he made it clear he doesnā€™t want to be the face of the NBA, he admitted to holding that title with a few other players.

ā€œLeBron is still playing. ā€¦ Steph just won a championship. KD is still hooping. Embiid is killing it. Jokic, back-to-back MVP. Luka magic. Itā€™s a lot of people out there,ā€ Antetokounmpo said.

And you know what? Heā€™s right.

If there was one player with the most claim to the face of the league title right now, itā€™d probably be Antetokounmpo. He has MVPs, a championship and a Defensive Player of the Year award all within the last few years. But thereā€™s just way too much talent in the NBA for there to be one true face.

And thatā€™s been the case maybe since the Michael Jordan era. Sure, you could made a case for players like Shaquille Oā€™Neal, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. But there was so much overlap between them alone, not to mention other great players of their eras, that itā€™s hard to say there was one face.

Antetokounmpo didnā€™t even mention players still ascending like Ja Morant, Jayson Tatum and Zion Williamson. Oh, and he warned that Victor Wembanyama is going to be a problem too.

So heā€™s right. Heā€™s not the face of the league. But Iā€™m glad he admitted to being one of them, because he absolutely is. And once James, Durant and Curry are done, heā€™ll probably be the last one standing to pass that title along to the next batch of NBA superstars.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

Ben Simmons, Nets Debut, 2022

In our weekly dose of Nets news, players on the team have apparently grown frustrated with Ben Simmons and what they perceive to be a lack of passion from the point-forward.

According to a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, those feelings stem from both Simmons’ performance on the floor but also the games he’s missed due to injuries.

Given his recent history, it’s understandable how people might arrive at a place to question his desire to play. That doesn’t make it right, as my colleague Sykes wrote, but there’s only one thing Simmons can do to change that perception.

“Itā€™s not really fair to question Simmonsā€™ ‘passion’ for the game here. Heā€™s legitimately injured and team officials see that. He did have back surgery. He does have a bad knee. Those are not fabricated things.

At the same time, itā€™s understandable why some might question him. His past with the 76ers informs everyoneā€™s present-day perception of him. Based on that, itā€™s easy to see how someone could question Simmons.

The Netsā€™ maligned point forward explained he was well aware of this in Charaniaā€™s piece, saying that thereā€™s ‘only so much I can really do’ to change his teammates’ perception of him. Heā€™s right ā€” the only thing that can change that is playing well and winning.”

He played better on Tuesday, so that’s a start. Now only if Brooklyn can figure out the winning part.

One to Watch

(All odds viaĀ Tipico.)

AP Photo/Ron Schwane

Cleveland Cavaliers (+145) at Milwaukee Bucks (-3.5, -180), O/U 217.5, 8 PM ET

That face of the league we were discussing earlier? Yeah, I think he’s going to lose Wednesday night. I explain it all here, but I’m taking Cleveland and the plus moneyline odds in this one because the Bucks are decimated by injuries.

Shootaround

— Steve Kerr admits this may be the final year of the Warriors title core

— Kevin Durant revealed the real reason behind his trade request

— Someone threw a paper plane on the court in the middle of Mavs-Clippers

— We really hope Shaq’s theory about two moons is a joke

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Serge Ibaka just made some history for an NBA player … on Spotify

Serge Ibaka: basketball star, chef, fashion icon…artist?

Quick question: How many professional athletes do you know that dip into the music industry and actually have success??

There are a few you could pluck here and there you could maybe get away with. But there aren’t many doing it at the level of NBA champion Serge Ibaka with his latest album ART, which was released last week.

The three-time selection to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, the two-time lead league leader in blocked shots and a one-time NBA champion’s Afrobeats album currently is doing numbers across streaming platforms. In particular, the single Champion is doing Michael-Jordan-in-the-Finals types of numbers.

Champion has been streamed over 35 million times on Spotify, which is the most ever for an active NBA player.

The album name is one basketball fans should have seen coming. Over the years, Ibaka has gone on record many times describing that he does “art” instead of drip or swag. Basically, art is a lifestyle.

As Serge hits the last chapters of his NBA career, brace yourself for a full transition into music. It seems like he knows what he’s doing.

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NBA trade grades: Who won the monster 4-team deal between the Bucks, Kings, Clippers and Pistons?

This massive four-team trade just kicked off the NBA trade deadline

The NBA trade deadline is officially upon us, folks. We’re starting off the final day of this thing with an absolute bang.

We got not a two, not a three but aĀ fourĀ team trade as the first deal completed a few hours ahead of the deadline.

The Milwaukee Bucks moved Donte DiVencenzo but got Serge Ibaka back. The Kings finally got rid of Marvin Bagley III. The Pistons got another project for the future. The Clippers saved themselves a whole lot of money.

There were a lot of moving parts to this thing. But don’t you worry ā€” we’re going over all of them here and grading each one.

Let’s dig in.

Kevin Oā€™Connor proposes Rockets, Clippers trade for John Wall

The Ringerā€™s national NBA insider Kevin Oā€™Connor proposes a deal with John Wall going to the Clippers and Marcus Morris, Serge Ibaka, and Eric Bledsoe coming to Houston.

At some point earlier in the 2021-22 season, the Clippers reportedly expressed ā€œgenuine interestā€ in acquiring five-time NBA All-Star John Wall. Could that potentially lead to a deal between Los Angeles and the Houston Rockets before the Feb. 10 trade deadline?

In his latest column at The Ringer, NBA insider Kevin Oā€™Connor makes the case for a Clippers-Rockets trade involving Eric Bledsoe, Serge Ibaka, and Marcus Morris going to Houston for Wall. He writes:

Bledsoe, Morris, and Ibaka combine to make $43.4M, which makes them a perfect match for Wallā€™s $44.3M salary. Ibaka and Bledsoe arenā€™t long for LA. And while Morris is a good player, wouldnā€™t swapping him for Wall, a five-time All-Star whoā€™s still only 31, be a reasonable gamble?

From Houstonā€™s view, Morrisā€™ contract extends to the 2023-24 season, whereas Wallā€™s deal does not. However, because it is much cheaper annually, that likely wouldnā€™t be a concern to general manager Rafael Stone ā€” since Morris can simply be dealt again, if cap room is needed.

At 32 years old, Morris likely wouldnā€™t be happy in a rebuilding scenario in Houston, anyway. But as long has Morris has any positive trade value around the league ā€” and heā€™s currently averaging 15.6 points (36.3% on 3-pointers) and 5.1 rebounds while still providing value defensively, so he should ā€” that scenario offers more upside to the Rockets than simply maintaining the status quo non-playing arrangement with Wall.

Thus, itā€™s almost certainly a deal that Houston would accept, though Stone would likely be canvassing the league for Morris suitors in such a scenario. The question is whether the Clippers are desperate enough to make such a trade, but with Los Angeles still below .500 in early February and Kawhi Leonard potentially on the way back, perhaps that could prompt them to be more aggressive in their deadline decisions.

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OKC Thunder news: Bleacher Report lists off three potential trade targets for Thunder along with trade destinations for veterans

The Thunder were gifted with three possible trade targets along with trade destinations for Kenrich Williams and Mike Muscala by @BleacherReport

Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz released an article that listed the top three trade candidates for all 30 NBA teams. The trade deadline is 17 days away on Feb. 10.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will probably be sellers this deadline as playoff contenders will call in to see the price of Kenrich Williams, the 27-year-old is averaging 7.1 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 38.2 percent from three in 39 games. Williams’ is also on a cheap contract, as he has a non-guaranteed two million dollar salary for the 2022-23 season that will easily be picked up.

Trading Williams makes sense on in a vacuum. But his recent comments to The Oklahoman’s Joe Mussatto about wanting to stay in Oklahoma City and retire in a Thunder uniform has made things a bit complicated as the human element plays a role — especially with how his teammates and Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault continuously praise him.

With all that said, let’s take a look at the three trade targets Swartz thinks the Thunder should target along with other team’s targets that involve a Thunder player.

Former Thunder big Serge Ibaka to miss rest of playoffs after back surgery

Los Angeles Clippers big Serge Ibaka will miss the rest of the playoffs after undergoing back surgery.

Former Oklahoma City Thunder and current Los Angeles Clippers big Serge Ibaka is out for the remainder of the playoffs after undergoing back surgery, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Ibaka missed every game from March 15 through May 13 before returning for the final two regular season games. He played the first two games of the playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks but has been unable to go since.

The back surgery will sideline him for the remainder of the 2021 postseason.

He posted a picture from the hospital to Instagram with a caption that included, in part, “It’s been a very tough season, I worked very hard to be back in time for the Playoffs but sometimes injuries get in the way and health has to be a priority.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Serge Ibaka (@sergeibaka)

Ibaka played 41 games this season and averaged 11.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest. Last year, with the Toronto Raptors, he appeared in 55 games.

At the time of reports that Ibaka had undergone surgery, the Clippers trailed the Utah Jazz 2-0 in the second round of the playoffs. Los Angeles also trailed the Dallas Mavericks 2-0 in the first round before coming back and getting the 4-3 series victory.

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Kawhi Leonard’s recruiting pitch to Serge Ibaka was hilariously simple: ‘Hey, what’s up?’

A HA HA HA HA.

Kawhi Leonard, as you know, is a man of few words.

But when those words are spoken, they’re gold. There was “A HA HA HA HA” or “Hey, hey, hey!” And who could forget him telling former Toronto Raptors teammate Serge Ibaka, “What it do, babyyyy!”

Speaking of Ibaka! He’ll reunite with Leonard in Los Angeles with the Clippers, and while speaking to reporters this week, he revealed how Leonard recruited him.

ā€œHe texted me, ā€˜Hey, whatā€™s up?ā€™” Ibaka said. “I said, ā€˜Whatā€™s up, bro?ā€™ A moment later: ā€˜Bro, are you coming or no?ā€™ Just picture Kawhi and his voice … it was funny.ā€

Hey, it worked! That’s all that counts! I can imagine Leonard’s reaction now might sound something like this:

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Los Angeles Clippers agree to deal with big man Serge Ibaka

The Los Angeles Clippers added athleticism, shooting, and size to their frontcourt by adding the former Raptors big man.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been busy this offseason but their rivals in Staples Center who were unable to hold up their end of the bargain in creating an L.A. vs. L.A. showdown in the Western Conference Finals, have made a move that should help them in their quest to knock the Lakers off of their pedestal.

The Los Angeles Clippers made a move on Saturday night to bring in veteran big man Serge Ibaka, who was a free agent this season after spending the last few seasons with the Toronto Raptors, where he won a championship in 2019. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Ibaka’s deal is worth $19 million and the second year includes a player option.

Ibaka played multiple roles for the Raptors over the past few years, both starting and coming off the bench. With Montrezl Harrell joining the Lakers in free agency, Ibaka fills an important hole at the back-up center spot.

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Report: Nets miss out on big man Serge Ibaka

Serge Ibaka is staying in the Atlantic Division, but the big man is no longer with the Nets. He’s now a member of the Brooklyn Nets.

Brooklyn almost had a chance to play host to a trio of ex-Oklahoma City Thunder teammates — much like the organization is doing for Steve Nash, Amar’e Stoudemire and Mike D’Antoni, all of which were part of the Phoenix Suns together when the retired guard and big man were still playing.

Former Thunder guard Royal Ivey recently joined Steve Nash’s coaching staff, alongside D’Antoni and Stoudemire, after spending the last two seasons with the New York Knicks.

Kevin Durant had reportedly been recruiting former Oklahoma City teammate and now ex-Toronto Raptors big man Serge Ibaka.

While Ibaka was lured away from Toronto, he’s not joining the Nets, despite Durant’s efforts.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Serge Ibaka is signing with the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year, with a player option for the second season.

ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting the deal is worth $19 million.

So far this offseason, the Nets have re-signed Joe Harris on a four-year deal and acquired Landry Shamet from the Clippers and Bruce Brown from the Detroit Pistons.