Former Toronto Raptor, and current Los Angeles Clipper, Serge Ibaka appeared on The Raptors Show with Will Lou on Friday to share memories of some ex-teammates, the 2019 championship run and his interactions with fans.
Ibaka makes his return to Toronto — in a Clippers uniform — for the first time since February of 2020 when the Raptors (14-17) host the Clippers (18-17) Friday night. You can watch the game on Sportsnet and SN NOW at 7:30 p.m ET/ 4:30 p.m. PT.
The big man spent four seasons with Toronto and over 228 games for the North became a fan favourite on and off the court. Ibaka often anchored the Raptors on both ends of the floor and was vital in Toronto’s 2019 championship run.
Off the court, Ibaka embraced Toronto and turned into something of a fashion Icon, while also creating his own cooking show ‘How Hungry Are You?’
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As veteran player Ibaka served as a mentor for many young Raptors, including OG Anunoby, where his on-court tutelage transferred into off-court antics.
“He became better and better, OG is a hard worker… he wants to do good things so bad,” Ibaka said. “He has a lot of confidence in him which is the most important (thing) and you can see all the hard work he is putting (in).”
The pair of them had a feud over scarves in 2020, prompting Ibaka to famously mutter “you’d better stop, OG,” and ” I don’t dress I do art.”
So, has Anunoby’s fashion sense improved?
“I’m a little disappointed in him,” Ibaka said. “I guess he is just focused on basketball… but off the court I feel like OG can do better.”
Ibaka, along with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, was in a unique position to watch Fred VanVleet — or as Ibaka calls him “Mr. Big Shots” — grow from G-leaguer to bench player to starter and into the leader he is now.
“One thing about Freddy, he had great opportunities to play with good vets,” said Ibaka. “It’s no surprise… you could see this guy is mature enough to be a leader.”
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VanVleet, speaking to the media Friday, told a story about Ibaka giving a speech when the Raptors were down 2-0 against the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals.
“I remember exactly,” said Ibaka when asked about the speech. “We were down as a team mentally and physically… I had been in that position before as a veteran on the team I had to share my experience… All you have to do is win the first game.”
And they did win. Then they did three more times — all in a row.
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Then when it came to Game 6 of the Finals against the Warriors, with the outcome all but determined in the final seconds but the buzzer delayed by fouls and free throws, Ibaka went to centre court and kneeled down.
“I was asking myself if I’m about to be a champion?” he said of that moment. “It was the best moment that you will never forget, I just started thinking about my past and where I come from, (how) I made the NBA (and) now I’m about to be a champion.”
Ibaka played the following season with the Raptors but during the off-season after the 2019-20 campaign he joined the Clippers on a two-year, $19-million contract. But he says he’ll never forget Toronto and its fans.
“I just want (the fans) to know I know they miss me and I miss them too,” he said.
Importantly, Ibaka has not found a Chinese food restaurant in Los Angeles better than Toronto’s own Rol Song.
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