“Anything is possible！” Speaking of this sentence, I think many people will think of Garnett's long roar when he won the championship, and he used this sentence to express his feelings at that time. But the protagonist of today's story is not Garnett, but another "anything is possible" person himself, Sergi Ibaka.
On September 18, 1989, Amadou de Hongka's sixteenth child was born, you read that right, the 16th, and after that, Amadou DeHongka gave birth to two more children. Even now, it's quite difficult for a family to raise 18 children, let alone 30 years ago when the family lived in the then unstable Congo.
When I was a child, Ibaka did not have a good life, when he was 8 years old, his mother died of cholera, which was not a disaster, and when he was 9 years old, war broke out in the Congo, and a large number of African people died in the war, Ibaka had to live a life of displacement. Affected by the war, Ibaka's family left Brazzaville, the capital of the Congo, and moved to a local town, where they settled for 4 years. After the war, Ibaka's family returned to Brazzaville, but the Congolese government imprisoned his father on the grounds that he was fighting for the rebels.
When Ibaka's father was released from prison after a year in prison, Ibaka had become a member of the Congolese youth team, and at the 2006 African Youth Basketball Championship, Ibaka led the Republic of the Congo to the championship, and the 17-year-old Ibaka won the MVP award. Ibaka was also spotted by scouts and taken to France to play in the lower divisions of France. Soon moved to the Spanish League, playing for Juventut in Spain, U20 Youth, Yobregat in La Liga, and Manreza in La Liga, during which time he taught himself Spanish.
In the summer of 2008, he was selected by the Thunder with the 24th pick in the first round with the 24th pick, probably needing to train second-year Durant and rookie Westbrook, the Thunder did not rush to let him come to the team to report, but chose to stay in the Spanish league to continue training for a year, a year later, the Thunder paid him and the Spanish league buyout, took him to Oklahoma City, and came with a slightly mature man james Harden with a full beard.
In the 09-10 season of the rookie season, Ibaka played all 72 games as a substitute, averaging only 6.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, which was not too eye-catching, and the next 2010-11 season was only 9.9 points and 7.6 rebounds, but his strong body became a qualified blue-collar interior player.
In the 2011-12 season, he played 66 games for the Thunder, starting all of them, and although he still averaged only 9.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, he averaged 3.7 blocks per game to make the Thunder's interior line a no-fly zone, he also won the league block king of the season, and ranked second in the best defensive player selection, named to the defensive team of the year. Harden was still sitting on the bench at the time, but Harden won the best sixth man of the season by averaging 16.8 points, 3.7 assists and 1 steal per game, Durant won the third career scoring champion, and Westbrook grew into a new league point guard with 23.6 points and 5.5 assists per game.
In the second game of the Western Conference semifinals that year, he used 7 blocks to make last season's defending champion Lakers fan unable to find the North, and the Thunder also relied on the excellent performance of the three youngsters and Ibaka's protection of the inside line to successfully reach the finals, but in the face of the league's hot heat, although Ibaka's block was still sharp, the empty shot was also accurate. But at that time, his single defense ability was relatively average, and the open position attack was almost negligible. Although he can still contribute beautiful blocks, the co-defense effect is not as good as Bosh. The Thunder eventually lost 4-1 to the Heat and unfortunately lost in the Finals, but the 23-year-old Ibaka has gradually grown to the fourth fewest in addition to the three.
In the 2012-13 season, although Harden helped the team reach the Finals last season, the Thunder manager sent him to the Rockets, so Ibaka became the team's third choice, playing all 80 starts, rising 4.1 points in points, and rebounding did not change much. But averaging 3 blocks per game gave him the league block king for the second time and was again named to the first team of the defensive team of the year. The Thunder traded back with Harden Kevin Martin also averaged 14 points per game, and the team also won a magnificent 60 wins to enter the playoffs again, but in the first round with the Rockets, Westbrook injured his knee in a fight with mad dog Beverly, and watched from the sidelines, Durant, although he tried his best, but ultimately lacked a second offensive point The Thunder still fell in the Western Conference semifinals.
In the 2013-14 season, Westbrook was recovering from injuries in the playoffs last season for almost half of the season, Ibaka averaged 15.1 points per game for the first time, rebounds also rose to 8.8, contributing 2.7 blocks, and he and Reggie Jackson combined to contribute 28.2 points to the Thunder, sharing the pressure on Durant. Ibaka was named to the defensive First Team for three consecutive years, while Durant finished his fourth scoring champion in five years and managed to win the MVP. However, at the end of the regular season, Ibaka announced that he was reimbursed for the season due to injury.
The Thunder relied on the full fire of Durant or reached the Western Conference Finals, their opponent is the Spurs, in the absence of Ibaka's internal deterrent, the Thunder came up to a big score of 0-2 behind, Ibaka watched the old Duncan in the basket to give and ask for it can not sit still, choose to play in the closed, with injury return he became the key figure in the third game. He guarded the basket and helped the Thunder keep spurs' shooting percentage below 40 percent. Under his intimidation, Tony Parker's performance was sluggish, which was also one of the key factors in the Thunder's victory. In addition to being a fool on the defensive end, Ibaka is also hot on the offensive end, scoring 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting, of which the distance shooting has always been a big problem for the Spurs. What's more, with Ibaka guarding the basket, Durant and Westbrook found their most comfortable way to play, and the rotation of the whole team was activated. It can be said that Ibaka has become a shot in the arm, making the Thunder look new up and down. Unexpectedly, this forced comeback caused permanent trauma to Ibaka's body, and he lost his excellent bounce, which was also the job bowl he relied on to survive in the league. Ibaka forced a comeback to give the Thunder another life, but the Thunder eventually lost the Western Conference Finals 2-4.
In the 2014-15 season, it may be that Durant was too tired last season, he was also plagued by injuries, almost the entire season has been on the bench, the Thunder only rely on the likes of Westbrook and Ibaka to try their best to bring the team into the playoffs, and Ibaka may also be due to the impact of last season's forced comeback, this season only played 64 games, scored 14.3 points, blocked 2.4 times. The 2015-16 season is the final peak of the Thunder, this year's serious injury Durante is still unstoppable, Westbrook experienced last season's experience alone after a desperate start, Ibaka can also contribute 12.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, the Thunder once again reached the Western Conference Finals.
This year's Thunder single from the lineup point of view, is definitely the league's top strong team, after all, with Both Westbrook Durant and bloody Ibaka, the Thunder single from the lineup is almost not weaker than the Warriors. That year, the Warriors only had Curry, Thompson and Green, Iguodala although as a bench, but Iguodala's tactical system is no longer important, mainly relying on Curry and Thompson, the two super scorers in the score, and when the Warriors met with the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, Curry was almost unable to stop Westbrook in the first four games, after all, the gap between the two in physical fitness is too big, and at the point of small forwards, the Warriors did not have a good ability to limit Durant's players at that time. Coupled with Ibaka's town defense on the inside, the first four games swept the Warriors a 3-1 game with autumn winds. But the pain of trading Harden in 2012 continues, whenever the coach replaces Durant and Westbrook, Ibaka and other main players, the Thunder's bench is spent by the Warriors, you can't expect these three players with serious injuries to be able to play the whole game for 7 consecutive games, and the Thunder still lost the Finals 3-4.
This summer, the Thunder managers could not wait for Durant's decision, so they traded Ibaka to the Orlando Magic in advance, and exchanged it for Sabonis and Oladipo, who were not yet famous at that time, trying to keep Durant, but Durant could not bear to win the coveted championship in the Thunder 9 years, and resolutely decided to join the Warriors who had just defeated themselves in the Western Conference Finals. Ibaka, who was abandoned by the Thunder, was traded again to the Toronto Raptors in the North after half a season with the Magic, and is still a thunderous starting big forward.
In the 2017-18 season, despite his decline in form, his tough interior defense and rim protection ability still made the Raptors choose to renew his contract, and Ibaka became a knife-bearing bodyguard next to DeRozan and Lowry. That season, Ibaka played in all 76 starts, averaging 12.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game to help advance to the playoffs, but averaging 8.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in the playoffs can be said to disappoint the team, and the team was eliminated by James's Cavaliers in the second round.
In the 2018-19 season, the gap between the Spurs' Leonard and the team could not be filled, the keen Raptors manager exchanged him with DeRozan, and established his core position, this year Ibaka's state has picked up, averaging 15.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, becoming the team's third-placed scorer, and helping the team all the way to the Finals, their opponent is the warriors of the big brother Durant, but since the playoffs, Durant has been sitting on the bench due to injury. After the Warriors fell behind 1-3 in the Finals, the Warriors internally questioned the hero who had helped the team win the championship twice, and finally Durant returned from the fifth adventure, suddenly pulling off the Achilles tendon in a no-match with Ibaka after playing 12 minutes, Ibaka watched the injured big brother being mercilessly mocked by his fans, raised his hand to signal the fans to quiet down, although the Warriors won the fifth game, but the Warriors without Durant withdrew from the game due to injury in the sixth game. The Raptors also managed to win the team's first championship trophy in 24 years, 4-2, and Ibaka also became the second player to lift the O'Brien Cup after the Thunder's three youngsters that year.
In the 2019-2020 season, although the team tried to retain Leonard, the hero of last season's championship, he went to another team in Los Angeles, the Clippers. The defending champion without the lead big brother failed to continue the bravery of last season, which was his contract year. Ibaka averaged 16 points and 8.1 rebounds per game this season, helping the Raptors to 46 wins and rank second in the East, but without Leonard, they fell on the stage of the Eastern Conference semifinals, and James also successfully continued the glory of the Purple And Gold Dynasty, helping the Lakers win the seventeenth championship in team history.
In the 2020-2021 season, last season's performance earned Ibaka a 2-year, $19 million contract for the Clippers, coming back to Leonard's side. The regular season 11.1 points, 6.7 rebounds is acceptable, but the playoffs 5 points and 2 rebounds performance is really not reasonable, but fortunately, his defensive deterrent is still there, the Clippers also rely on leonard and George's success to reach the Western Conference Finals, but in the face of paul's Suns, the Clippers have not been able to find too good a way to limit Booker's play, and finally broke the Western Conference Finals, and the Clippers' dream of rushing to the championship was shattered. Ibaka's eldest brother Durant finally returned after a full season off, and waited for the third brother Harden, who and Irving worked together to reach the Eastern Conference semifinals, but Harden and Irving's successive injuries caused the Nets to fall in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The second brother, Westbrook, still treats triple-doubles as simple as dinner in Washington, but the Wizards only won one game in the playoffs!
Now think back to the Thunder team with enviable talent: Kevin Durant was cold and frosty; Russell Westbrook was as fast as fire; James Harden was as gentle and smooth as the breeze; and Sergi Ibaka was rock solid, like Congo. They are the most enviable and frightening legions of youth, synonymous with talent and all that is good.
In 2019, he introduced himself in an interview, talking about food, talking about music, talking about fashion and the past. I opened my hand and roughly counted, in a short text of a few hundred words, mentioning "Congo" and "hometown", the two hands have been a bit uncountable. He made a name for himself from war, blood, violence and death to basketball, and at the pinnacle of basketball, he was still a Congolese child, and he loved food and music.
Sergi Ibaka turned to his teammates in the light of the training hall, sweat and air mist pouring out smoke and water mist, he said "I still prefer, you call me Congo Trapeze".
I don't care about the 4 million difference, it's just that you don't respect me too much
Half angel, half devil! I wish he were the teenager he was now
No one has ever seen his peak, and the only thing that stands in his way may be injury
The author has something to say: I have all seen this, do you really not like to pay attention to it?