His last appearance was on New Year's Day 2023, back then wearing the Milwaukee Bucks jersey, marking his 919th game in the NBA (12.0 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game). He hadn't stepped on the court for months before Serge Ibaka made his much-anticipated debut for Bayern Basketball at the end of September - only eight weeks later, the 34-year-old center becomes a gameday player for the first time in the EuroLeague, the elite European competition.
Top scorer for Munich
During Munich's thrilling 90-76 victory on Thursday night against Virtus Bologna, the Congolese-Spanish powerhouse reached his personal best of 24 points, along with grabbing 13 rebounds and two blocks. His Performance Index Rating (PIR) thus stood at 34 - the highest mark on the eleventh EuroLeague matchday.
Ibaka performed with impressive efficiency, hitting nine of his twelve shots in the paint during his 23 minutes and 15 seconds of playtime. He went 3 for 3 from the free-throw line and even made his only three-point attempt from outside, the one that gave Bayern their first lead (56-53/25.) after starting at 2-0.
After 919 NBA appearances
In the EuroLeague, the returning European Ibaka, after ten appearances, holds an average of 12.7 points and 6.6 rebounds as the top scorer of his team. The seven-foot center's three-point shooting stands at around 47 percent. The defensively strong NBA champion from 2019 ranks among the league's top shot-blockers (1.4 blocks per game, 3rd place) and rebounders (4th place).
In the BBL, he has played five games, averaging 13 points and 7.2 rebounds.