(Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Serge Ibaka is really opening up about what he left the Milwaukee Bucks.
Ibaka, who has been in the league since 2009, left the Bucks in January after playing only 16 games.
There was a lot of speculation and questions about why he departed from the team but now he’s clearing things up.
Speaking to Shams Charania, Ibaka said that he “couldn’t take what was happening anymore” and said a lack of communication led to him exiting Milwaukee.
14-year NBA vet Serge Ibaka sits down with @Stadium: “A lot of things that I can bring to a team…basketball, experience of winning, playing with great players.” On split with Bucks: “I couldn’t take what was happening anymore…no communications”, getting most from stars, more. pic.twitter.com/20rGdzHJA4
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 3, 2023
Ibaka admits that when he signed with the team in 2021-22, he knew he wouldn’t be playing as much as he did during his time with the Toronto Raptors, Oklahoma City Thunder, and others.
He accepted that and was comfortable being a backup player.
He knew that the Bucks had a star big man in Brook Lopez and he would essentially provide support for him.
But according to Ibaka, he was also led to believe that he could be called upon at any moment and had to remain prepared, especially if injuries came up.
Yet, he said that the calls never came.
Even as other players got hurt, Ibaka claims that he sat on the sidelines and was left out of rotation.
This led to sour feelings between him and the coaching staff and confusion about what his role was.
Ibaka swears that he has no hard feelings for the men he played with and said he got along very well with all of them.
But when it became clear that he wasn’t really useful for the team, even when others were hurt, he said it was time to go.
Now Ibaka is without an NBA home but is hoping to make a comeback soon.
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