By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Bayern Munich announced that big man Serge Ibaka is leaving the team to join another EuroLeague club.
Ibaka is expected to complete a move to Real Madrid, even though he denied earlier in the summer that he had a deal with the Spanish club. However, he didn’t deny that he had an offer from Real Madrid, only that he had already decided his destination.
Ibaka is expected to join one of the top EuroLeague centers in the past few years, Edy Tavares, while another Spanish player, Usman Garuba who had denied his move to Real Madrid earlier, also teased his return to the club, as Eurohoops had first reported after the EuroLeague Final Four.
Per Bayern Munich’s press release:
Serge Ibaka will no longer wear the FC Bayern Basketball jersey next season. The native Congolese with a Spanish passport joined Munich a year ago after 14 seasons in the NBA. Ibaka, 34, will be making another change within the EuroLeague and expressed his gratitude to FCBB on Monday evening:
“In a moment when many doubted me, FC Bayern Basketball gave me a chance. It was an honor to represent one of the greatest sports brands and organizations of all. Winning the championship and the German Cup was very special for me, as was competing in the EuroLeague. I thank Herbert Hainer, Marko Pesic, Daniele Baiesi, Coach Laso, the coaching staff, my teammates, and the office for bringing me to Munich and believing in my hard work and experience.”
FCBB CEO Marko Pesic: “Looking back, we consider it a great honor for our club that Serge, after his successful time in the NBA, made his return to Europe with us in Munich. He gave us a lot last season with his great passion for basketball and his incredible professionalism on the way to the double. We sincerely thank Serge for that and wish him many more successful years on the court.”
The 2019 NBA Champion posted double-digit figures both in the EuroLeague and in the league: In the European top-tier competition, the defensive specialist was Munich’s top scorer with an average of 12.6 points (three-point shooting percentage of 48%) and also the best rebounder (6.8 rebounds per game). He was the MVP on the eleventh matchday. In the BBL, Ibaka averaged 10.6 points and 5.7 rebounds, with the values rising even higher in the playoffs (11.3/6.3).