Of the four players in Saturday night’s NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Serge Ibaka’s road here may be the most improbable. Born in the Republic of the Congo to two basketball players, he used his own basketball skills to escape the war-torn climate in which he grew up. The silliness of the dunk contest doesn’t quite jibe with the drama he experienced to get here, but his conclusion is testament to the impression he’s made on the league in his brief career.
Serge Ibaka’s Highlight Reel: Get To Know Your NBA Slam Dunk Contestant
In his second year with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Ibaka has complemented superstar teammate Kevin Durant with 9.4 points per game. Ibaka and the Thunder hold one of the best records in the Western Conference, and surely have high hopes for a postseason run.
On to the highlights. Here’s an outstanding put-back dunk that required as much anticipation as it did athleticism:
In this clip, Ibaka takes the feed from teammate Eric Maynor. Ibaka can dunk better with one arm than most can dunk with two.
And finally: although half of the greatness of this play owes itself to Ibaka’s ability to snare the ball away, it’s possibly my favorite Serge Ibaka moment.
Throughout the day, be sure to check back with this StoryStream, which we’ll be updating with more highlight reels and updates from tonight’s dunk contest. And to follow along with Serge Ibaka fans, check out our Oklahoma City Thunder blog, Welcome To Loud City.
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