August 9th 2023.
Serge Ibaka, former Milwaukee Buck's forward, recently sat down with Shams Charania of The Athletic to discuss his short-lived stint with the team. He expressed his initial eagerness to stay with the Bucks, despite the limited minutes he was promised by head coach Mike Budenholzer during the 2022 season.
Ibaka went on to explain, "He told me to my face, 'Listen, you come in here, I promise you nothing, but you never know. It's a long season. Guys can have injuries. You have to stay ready.' I said OK, cool, accept it. I'm gonna keep working hard, stay professional, and cheer for our teammates."
Despite his enthusiasm, Ibaka started to become increasingly frustrated with his lack of playing time. Even when key players were out due to injury, Ibaka's minutes did not increase and instead he found himself on the bench. He clarified, "It got to some point where I was like, 'OK, I cannot just take this no more. I love this game so much, but if this is gonna take my peace of mind, my joy, you know, it's not worth it.'"
The three-time All-NBA Defense Team member also noted the lack of communication from the coaches and management concerning his playing time, saying that it could have been better. It was then that Ibaka decided that he had no choice but to leave the Bucks and he was eventually traded to the Indiana Pacers in February 2023, before being released at the season's end.
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