Since leaving the Bucks in February after being dropped from the rotation in January, Serge Ibaka couldn’t find a jersey to wear. In the middle of summer and soon to be 34 years old (he will be on September 18), he is still free. For Stadiumthe former Thunder interior returned to the end of his adventure with Milwaukee, which could be summed up in this sentence: “I couldn’t bear what was happening anymore. »
Why is that ?
“The summer before, I was a free agent, the coach called me and told me a lot of things”, says the 2019 champion. “I knew I wasn’t going to play as much as I wanted because there was Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis. I knew that coming here, I would have a hard time getting minutes. We talked about it before I signed. He told me, didn’t promise me anything, also saying that the season is long, that players get injured so I had to stay ready. I accepted it, staying professional, working hard, helping my teammates. »
Serge Ibaka wanted communication, more than playing time
Everything seemed clear between the franchise and Ibaka. Except that in the end, he will only play 16 matches, mainly in October and November, but this is not the main complaint he makes to Mike Budenholzer.
“Things got confusing for me. When the players were absent, due to injury, I did not play. But when they came back, then I played. And then I play a match and after that, nothing for three weeks. Above all, there was no communication. I’m not asking to play, I’m at least asking for communication. When I was at the Clippers, Tyronn Lue, for whom I have the greatest respect, used to tell me things. For example that I was not going to play this week, or that tonight, maybe he would need me, but it was not sure. »
Faced with this observation, the former Oklahoma City player did not hide his dissatisfaction and therefore decided to leave the Bucks.
“That’s the main reason I left. It’s not because, as people might think, I wanted to play more. No, you can ask my teammates, I had no problem with anyone. But if this situation were to take away my joy and serenity, it wasn’t worth it. »
| Serge Ibaka | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2009-10 | OKAY | 73 | 18 | 54.3 | 50.0 | 63.0 | 1.9 | 3.6 | 5.4 | 0.1 | 2.7 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 6.3 |
| 2010-11 | OKAY | 82 | 27 | 54.3 | 0.0 | 75.0 | 2.6 | 5.0 | 7.6 | 0.3 | 3.3 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 9.9 |
| 2011-12 | OKAY | 66 | 27 | 53.5 | 33.3 | 66.1 | 2.9 | 4.6 | 7.6 | 0.4 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 3.7 | 9.1 |
| 2012-13 | OKAY | 80 | 31 | 57.3 | 35.1 | 74.9 | 2.8 | 4.9 | 7.7 | 0.5 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 13.2 |
| 2013-14 | OKAY | 81 | 33 | 53.6 | 38.3 | 78.4 | 2.8 | 6.0 | 8.8 | 1.1 | 2.9 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 15.2 |
| 2014-15 | OKAY | 64 | 33 | 47.6 | 37.6 | 83.6 | 2.1 | 5.7 | 7.8 | 0.9 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 14.3 |
| 2015-16 | OKAY | 78 | 32 | 47.9 | 32.6 | 75.2 | 1.8 | 5.0 | 6.8 | 0.9 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 12.6 |
| 2016-17* | All Teams | 79 | 31 | 48.0 | 39.1 | 85.6 | 1.6 | 5.2 | 6.8 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 14.9 |
| 2016-17* | ENT | 56 | 31 | 48.8 | 38.8 | 84.6 | 1.8 | 5.0 | 6.8 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 15.1 |
| 2016-17* | TOR | 23 | 31 | 45.9 | 39.8 | 88.2 | 1.3 | 5.5 | 6.8 | 0.7 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 14.2 |
| 2017-18 | TOR | 76 | 28 | 48.3 | 36.0 | 79.7 | 1.0 | 5.3 | 6.3 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 12.6 |
| 2018-19 | TOR | 74 | 27 | 52.9 | 29.0 | 76.3 | 2.1 | 6.0 | 8.1 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 15.0 |
| 2019-20 | TOR | 55 | 27 | 51.2 | 38.5 | 71.8 | 2.1 | 6.2 | 8.2 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 15.4 |
| 2020-21 | LAKE | 41 | 23 | 51.0 | 33.9 | 81.1 | 1.8 | 4.9 | 6.7 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 11.1 |
| 2021-22 * | All Teams | 54 | 16 | 50.0 | 37.4 | 72.7 | 1.2 | 3.5 | 4.6 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 6.8 |
| 2021-22 * | LAKE | 35 | 15 | 49.0 | 38.7 | 69.0 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 6.6 |
| 2021-22 * | MIL | 19 | 18 | 51.9 | 35.1 | 80.0 | 1.2 | 4.1 | 5.3 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 7.0 |
| 2022-23 | MIL | 16 | 12 | 48.1 | 33.3 | 61.5 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 4.1 |
| Total | 919 | 27 | 51.3 | 35.9 | 75.7 | 2.1 | 5.0 | 7.1 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 12.0 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
