Real Madrid has signed Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka for two months' worth of games, the team has confirmed (via The Basketball Post). Ibaka became a Spanish citizen this summer in order to represent the nation at EuroBasket. He was born in the Republic of the Congo, but immigrated to Spain as his basketball career developed.
Serge Ibaka Signs With Real Madrid During NBA Lockout
He's a star defender at the NBA level, and last season became the youngest player to ever lead the NBA in blocked shots. (He finished second in block rate in the regular season, and first in the playoffs.) He replaced Jeff Green in the starting lineup after a midseason trade for Kendrick Perkins; with Ibaka, Perk, Nick Collison and Nazr Mohammed, the Thunder have perhaps the best defensive big man rotation in the league.
Real stars one other locked-out NBA player: Rudy Fernandez, who was traded to the Dallas Mavericks on draft day and has one more season in America before being able to play in Spain full-time. Real also feature Rockets prospect Sergio Llull, former Blazer Sergio Rodriguez, Jazz prospect Ante Tomic and Bulls draftee Nikola Mirotic.
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