Serge Ibaka
Position: Small Forward/Power Forward
Height: 6’9”
Weight: 230 pounds
Country: Congo
Team: Toronto Raptors
While most of the players on this list were introduced to basketball late in their childhood, Ibaka was born into the sport. His parents played for Congo’s men’s and women’s national teams. His father also played professionally in Africa. Shortly after picking up the game at 7 years old, Ibaka’s world would turn upside down after his mother’s early death and his father’s year-long imprisonment during the Second Congo War—which left a total of more than 5 million people dead.
Once Ibaka got to play organized ball at 16, he immediately excelled. He was the leading scorer and rebounder at the Under-18 African Championships—earning him Tournament MVP honors.
He would go on to play a few years professionally in Europe before being drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Thunder. Over the course of his 10-year career, Ibaka has been one of the league’s premier shot blockers. He recorded his second-highest scoring output of his career this past regular season—averaging 15 points per game for the Toronto Raptors.
