Many NBA stars of today have looked up to players that are recently retiring. For the Orlando Magic‘s Serge Ibaka, it was none other than Kevin Garnett.
In a candid interview with Jill Hudson of The Undefeated, Ibaka admitted that he modeled his game after the Big Ticket and used to have his poster in his room, back in his native Congo.
Ibaka said that growing up as a basketball player, he wanted to buy a poster of a basketball star and didn't know who, but when coming across Garnett's passionate image of him pounding his chest in a Timberwolves jersey, he bought that poster.
He then started learning more about Garnett and his game, ultimately becoming a great fan of his passion and approach for the game of basketball.
“His poster. Like, having his poster in my home. I was waking up every morning at 5:00 in the morning to go run,” said Ibaka. “Before I go I was watching that poster, before I go to bed I was watching that poster. I think that’s what made me to be here.”
While Ibaka doesn't have the offensive repertoire of Garnett, he exhibits the passion, energy and defensive mentality that made him so endeared to Timberwolves fans for the better part of a decade.
“I really hope one day that I can meet with him and tell him that if I’m here today it’s because [of] his inspiration,” Ibaka said of the recently-retired Garnett. “I just (want to) thank him for everything he did.”
During the past few years, Serge Ibaka has expanded his range to the three-point line and has become a pick-and-pop extraordinaire.
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