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NBA: 30 greatest international players in league history

By Daniel Lubofsky

SAN ANTONIO - MAY 09: Guard Steve Nash #13 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball past Tony Parker #9 of the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on May 9, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO - MAY 09: Guard Steve Nash #13 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball past Tony Parker #9 of the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on May 9, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Serge Ibaka
Serge Ibaka (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Greatest international NBA players of all time: 16. Serge Ibaka

The career of Serge Ibaka has not followed a linear path. Drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 24th pick of the 2008 Draft, he was viewed as a raw forward with great shot-blocking instincts and athleticism but little else.

An elite shot blocker from the moment he stepped foot on an NBA court, Ibaka would slowly but surely expand his offensive arsenal each year. He would eventually develop a near automatic mid-range jumper that wound up doing wonders for OKC’s offense, but his reputation was still forged at the defensive end.

In seven seasons with the Thunder, Ibaka averaged 2.5 blocks per game and led the league in back-to-back seasons in 2012-13. Since the turn of the century, only two other players have topped his league-leading 3.7 blocks a game in the 2011-12 season. Ibaka would also make three All-Defensive teams as a stifling interior presence.

While not even an All-Star, Ibaka would help transform the Thunder from young up-and-comers to perennial title contenders with an NBA Finals loss in 2012. Those OKC squads never did win a championship for a number of reasons, and after a brief stint in Orlando, Ibaka found himself a member of the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors had been swept out of the playoffs through Ibaka’s first two runs. Once Kawhi Leonard arrived, Toronto was immediately upgraded to championship contender status. As in OKC, Ibaka wouldn’t be a star, but his play would certainly help make or break his team’s title chances.

By this point in time, his abilities as a shot blocker had significantly diminished with more of a focus towards the offense end. His game of old would show itself every once in a while, but it just wasn’t the same. Still, he brought that consistent mid-range jumper and a hard-nosed defensive attitude that made an impact.

Toronto managed to make it all the way to the Finals in a matchup with the Golden State Warriors. Ibaka would have his moments like a six-block performance in Game 3 and a 20-point outing in Game 4. In the six-game series, he shot 56.0 percent from the field on his way to 11.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game in helping the Raptors to their first ever NBA championship.

The Thunder have drafted well during their time in Oklahoma City, and Ibaka was no exception late in the first round. It’s a bummer that he couldn’t help them to a title, but for Raptors fans everywhere, he will forever be remembered.