Munich (dpa) – The basketball players at FC Bayern Munich have completed a spectacular signing and brought in former NBA champion Serge Ibaka. The 33-year-old Spaniard signed a one-season contract, the club announced on Saturday. Ibaka had played in the North American professional league NBA for a total of 14 years since 2009 and won the championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. With the Spanish national team he won the European Championship title in 2011 and Olympic silver a year later.
“I’ve had a long NBA career, but I’m approaching this new chapter with a lot of enthusiasm – I still have a lot of fire in me and love the game,” said Ibaka. The new Munich head coach Pablo Laso from Spain was “a decisive factor” for him. “For me he is one of the best coaches in the world.”
The 2.08 meter tall Ibaka can act as both a center and a power forward. He was moved from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Indiana Pacers in February of this year as part of a player swap, where the contract was canceled after a short time without playing. Since then, Ibaka has been without a club. According to the Munich team, the signing completes the squad for the season that begins in the Bundesliga at the end of the month.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:230916-99-218030/2
2023-09-17 02:24:08
#Basketball #Munich #Bayern #basketball #players #sign #NBA #champion #Ibaka #Bayern
