Just because the orange and blue carpets were rolled out for him on Ring Night, it doesn’t mean it’s over. Serge Ibaka hopes to breathe some new life into his decorated NBA career for one last go-around.
Or that’s what it seemingly appears. Ibaka posted on social media a photo of himself inside a gym. He captioned it as his NBA comeback attempt. The 36-year-old is in an uphill battle for that.
Ibaka last played in the 2022-23 season with the Milwaukee Bucks. That was his last of five stops in the league. He’s spent 14 NBA seasons, also with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors and LA Clippers.
Ibaka’s best years were on the Thunder. He spent his first seven seasons there from 2009-16. He was one of the better players on the perennial title contender, alongside Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. He won two blocking titles there. He helped the Raptors win an NBA championship in 2019.
Since he last played in the NBA, Ibaka has played overseas in the EuroLeague. Right now, he’s without a team. But hopes to have one last shot to finish his career on his terms. Let’s see how it goes. He adds plenty of pedigree, but his best playing days are long behind him.
But count Thunder fans as a group that’ll root for him. He was given a loud ovation on Opening Night, where he was in attendance. Several generations of OKC players were in the building when rings were handed out and their championship banner was unveiled.