Serge Ibaka says playing defense in Europe is harder than the NBA because 'you have to be involved'

Highlights

Serge Ibaka finds European basketball can be more challenging than the NBA defensively, as players have to be actively involved at all times.
Ibaka is enjoying a respectable season with Bayern Munich, averaging 12.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.
The 34-year-old has no plans of retiring just yet and wants to continue playing at a high level and winning.

It has been 10 months since three-time All-Defensive First Team pick, two-time blocks leader, and NBA champion Serge Ibaka has played in North America. Thanks to injuries, age, and the league’s ever-changing tides, Ibaka had to look to Europe for a spot to ply his hardwood trade.

That doesn’t mean that things are easier now for Ibaka — who ultimately landed with Bayern Munich of Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga. On the contrary, the 34-year-old told BasketNews‘ Donatas Urbonas that the European game can actually be more difficult to navigate than the action is in the NBA, a sentiment that echoes statements from stars like Luka Dončić who have played in leagues around the world.

“European basketball is getting a lot better,” Ibaka told Urbonas. “Sometimes in the NBA, you can rest a bit on defense because one guy is going one-on-one. Here, it’s not like that. You have to be involved.”

Ibaka is making his mark in the Basketball Bundesliga

While people in the United States were sitting down to their Thanksgiving dinners or watching the Detroit Lions play football, Ibaka was showing out in his latest win for Bayern Munich. In 31 minutes of play against the French squad ASVEL Villeurbanne, Ibaka scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, hitting two three-point bombs, all while notching four rebounds, a blocked shot, and a steal. The game itself was settled in double overtime, with Munich winning the EuroLeague bout 101-100.

Ibaka has appeared in 14 games across all competitions, averaging 12.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks nightly while shooting 53.5 percent from the floor overall and 28.6 percent from three-point range. However, even as he has adjusted to his new team, the 14-year NBA vet isn’t concerning himself with comeback talk. Rather, he’s feeling good about where he’s at and the opportunity it has afforded him to do what he enjoys.

“My focus is playing in Bayern. I want to keep improving here,” Ibaka added. “Playing basketball is one of the most beautiful things one can do. I didn’t play for 10 months, and now I’m playing basketball, something I like to do. I’m grateful for this moment.”

That statement hearkens back to what he told reporters when he first signed with Munich back in September. “I couldn’t stay in the States and wait for someone to sign me to be on the bench,” Ibaka told BasketNews. I don’t want that […] I still feel that I’ve got a lot of basketball left in me, and I want to play at a high level, I want to win, that’s what I do. And the day when I feel that I don’t want to do it anymore, I’m going to retire.”

Less usage with age

Ibaka’s last taste of NBA action came as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2022-23 campaign. He had joined Giannis Antetokounmpo midway through the previous season to help with the title push, and actually brought some things to the table as a depth piece. Alas, neither he nor the team were satisfied with how things were going last year and the two sides mutually agreed that trade would be in everyone’s best interest. After getting moved to the Indiana Pacers, though, he was waived in short order.

Serge Ibaka’s Final Three Seasons	PTS	REB	BLK	eFG%
2020-21 – Clippers	11.1	6.7	1.1	56.3
2021-22 – Clippers/Bucks	6.8	4.6	0.6	56.3
2022-23 – Bucks	4.1	2.8	0.4	53.7

The wind had really been taken out of his sails during the 2020-21 season when a back injury derailed his year, as well as his run with the Los Angeles Clippers. He was limited to just 39 appearances for the Clippers before the trouble started, averaging 11.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He attempted to come back during the Clippers’ run to the Western Conference Finals, but was ultimately shut down in order for him to undergo back surgery.

In 919 career games with five teams, Ibaka averaged 12.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per contest while shooting 51.3 percent from the field. He won his only championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.