When I was 16 I took the first opportunity I had to play basketball in a different country. I flew to Europe for the first time and found myself in the small town of Macon, in France. That was the first time I lived far away from my people, from my culture. I was young and had to adapt quickly.

Serge Ibaka

All my life, I believe what my mind tells me; what my heart tells me. All the way back to Congo, it has worked for me.

When I think about power, it's not about having money. It's about changing people's lives, changing people's moods. To me, it's a blessing to have that power.

Serge Ibaka

Power Money Think

In the playoffs, it's win or you go home.

Serge Ibaka

Home You Win

I'm always helping my family. It's the most important thing.

Serge Ibaka

Family Ways Way

In this world where we live, some people are going to love you, some people are going to hate you - that's what it is. You cannot try to force everybody to love you, it's not gonna work.

Serge Ibaka

Work Love You

I always put in the work.

Serge Ibaka

Work Ways Way

I played football when I was a kid, it is such a fun sport to play, I fancied myself as a midfielder until I grew too tall and discovered basketball.

Serge Ibaka

Until UN Too

I lost my mom when I was seven, and at some point in my life having food it was like a big deal for me because it was not every day.

Serge Ibaka

Mom Life Food

My story. My past. I don't want to forget that. I want to think about it and be reminded of it so I can be thankful and appreciative of everything.

Serge Ibaka

Thankful Want Very

I've said that before: I believe in God. With God, anything is possible.

Serge Ibaka

God Wit Thing

I've been learning when to block shots against who I'm playing. I'm not just going to leave a shooter to go block shots.

Serge Ibaka

Learning Yin Who

By the time I was 19 years old, I had lived in five different cities in four different countries and three different continents.

Serge Ibaka

Time Years Year

My focus is to start my game with my defense every night.

Serge Ibaka

Art Wit Very

I can shoot, or I can roll, I can finish inside, I can take two-point shots, I can switch on defence and I can protect the paint.

Serge Ibaka

Witch Wit Two

When it's time to dress, I have to think. I have to envision myself in a certain outfit. The night before, when I go to bed, I close my eyes and start thinking about the outfit I'm going to wear tomorrow: all the colors, the fabrics, how it's going to look. It's about putting the whole thing together.

Serge Ibaka

Time Art Yes

That's one of my favorite things from my dad is his old jersey.

Serge Ibaka

Things Thing Thin

I like to always be able to contest shots. If you play against a player like Al Jefferson - he likes to pump-fake, so you need to be alert and quick. If he pump-fakes you and you go up, when you come back you need to go right back up to contest his shot.

Serge Ibaka

You Ways Way

Not all players want to play defense. You get in foul trouble, you're going to be on the bench.

Serge Ibaka

You Want Trouble

Ask anybody from Africa which country is the best in terms of dressing, and they'll tell you Congo.

Serge Ibaka

You Which UN

I was born in Brazzaville, the Republic of Congo, in 1989.

Serge Ibaka

T Republic Rep

I believe in God, and I believe in miracles, and I believe that everything is possible.

Serge Ibaka

The most difficult thing with a new shot is if you go two or three games without making it, or you struggle, and people start saying, 'You can't shoot 3s,' or, 'Why do you shoot 3s?'

Serge Ibaka

When I was 16 I took the first opportunity I had to play basketball in a different country. I flew to Europe for the first time and found myself in the small town of Macon, in France. That was the first time I lived far away from my people, from my culture. I was young and had to adapt quickly.

Serge Ibaka

LeBron is not a good defender.

Serge Ibaka

It's a long story, my life, growing up with my dad, my mom when she died, everything. I had bad moments in my life, my dad going to prison, I had nothing, and that's where I got my motivation.

Serge Ibaka

Whatever it takes to help the team to get wins, I'm going to do it.

Serge Ibaka

Mentally, starting the game versus coming off the bench, there are different vibes.

Serge Ibaka

I learned a lot in Spain.

Serge Ibaka

My father was always pushing me to become a basketball player. In Africa, when you're a kid, every kid loves to play soccer, and I loved playing soccer. But my dad didn't want me playing soccer. He would joke, 'C'mon, man, you're too tall!' Then he promised me, 'If you start playing basketball, I'm going to give you my jersey.'

Serge Ibaka

I wish I had more body parts that I could work out. If I had my way, I'd be in the gym all day. I love to lift.

Serge Ibaka

Where I come from, dressing is a culture. When I go back home, I cannot dress bad. I cannot miss, or people will be like, 'What's going on with you, Serge? Did you lose your mind, or what?' That's the culture.

Serge Ibaka

I know people that was playing basketball better than me. If they were in the NBA, they could be All-Stars, those people. They just never had the opportunity to go play professional basketball in Europe.

Serge Ibaka

When I don't have basketball practice, I'll be in a gym for 2.5 hours - 30 minutes abs, 2 hours lifting.

Serge Ibaka

I didn't know there was an NBA draft. But in my mind, I was always telling myself, one day, 'I'm going to be in professional basketball.' And I believed it. One day, I will. I believe this every day. I think about this every day. I was going to do whatever I had to do to be there. And it comes true.

Serge Ibaka

My dad used to play basketball, now he gets to see me in the NBA Finals.

Serge Ibaka

That's where I get my toughness in mind. From my background when I was young, everything I've been through, everything I was going through in my life. It helped me a lot, it helped me to be strong.

Serge Ibaka

I have to stay hydrated. It's very important for anyone, but especially athletes! We sweat a lot, and we need it.

Serge Ibaka

You need to love to play defense.

Serge Ibaka

When you play in the NBA, everybody wants to play in the All-Star Game. I really want to.

Serge Ibaka

It's hard when you have to play a way you're not really used to and you feel like you can do more than just that.

Serge Ibaka

As an athlete, it's always good when you can do things with the fans, try to connect with the fans.

Serge Ibaka

That's the culture I come from - we like to dress nice. It is my thing.

Serge Ibaka

When you are a young player in the NBA, sometimes you don't pay much attention to some of the cities you visit, especially in cold places like Toronto. But when you spend more time in the league you learn more about the cities you play in, and learn how to appreciate them more.

Serge Ibaka

One of the things I learned playing on a good team is when the team wins, when you make the playoffs, everybody looks good.

Serge Ibaka

At first, I wanted to be a good player in the NBA. When I get to a team where you have one of the two best scorers in the league, I just said to myself that I needed to do something. I need to do something to help my team, something to make my name. That's where I started to focus on defense.

Serge Ibaka

I'm not gonna try to force to look for threes, but if the three is open, I'm gonna shoot it.

Serge Ibaka

I'd read about NBA players in magazines when I was growing up in Congo, but I had never actually seen what NBA basketball looked like because we didn't have access to a satellite for TV.

Serge Ibaka

Most of the time when you're open that's when it's tough to make shots because you try to get some different focus than normally when some guys try to contest your shots.

Serge Ibaka

Not everybody can do everything at a high level.

Serge Ibaka

There was a complete rupture in my left calf.

Serge Ibaka