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Toronto Raptors NBA Champion Breaks Silence on Big Career Decision

14-year NBA veteran Serge Ibaka has joined Real Madrid

Joey Linn

Jun 13, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Toronto Raptors center Serge Ibaka (left) and Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (right) celebrate with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after defeating the Golden State Warriors for the NBA Championship in game six of the 2019 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena.
Jun 13, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Toronto Raptors center Serge Ibaka (left) and Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (right) celebrate with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after defeating the Golden State Warriors for the NBA Championship in game six of the 2019 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. / Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
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It was recently announced that Toronto Raptors NBA champion Serge Ibaka had joined Real Madrid to continue his professional basketball career. Ibaka spent 14 seasons in the NBA, last playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2022-23 season.

Ibaka was acquired by Milwaukee from the LA Clippers at the 2022 NBA trade deadline, as injuries limited what projected to be a really good fit for Ibaka in Los Angeles after his run in Toronto.

Breaking his silence on the decision to join Real Madrid, Ibaka said in a video posted by the club (translated to English via X), "For me it's like coming home.”

Still just 34 years old, Ibaka likely has a lot of good basketball left in him, and he will be bringing his talents to a club he said feels like home. Drafted 24th overall by the Seattle SuperSonics (Oklahoma City Thunder) in 2008, Ibaka played the first seven years of his career in OKC before a brief stint with the Orlando Magic.

Joining the Raptors after his time in Orlando, Ibaka won an NBA championship alongside Kawhi Leonard, who he also played with on the Clippers. In his 14-year NBA career, Ibaka appeared in 919 games (697 starts). Ibaka made three All-Defensive teams in his NBA career, all of which were First Team selections in three-straight seasons from 2012-2014.

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Joey Linn

JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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