Serge Ibaka knows Kevin Durant pretty well. The two have played together since the Oklahoma City Thunder drafted Ibaka 24th overall in 2008. Ibaka and Durant were both on the Thunder during the team’s Western Conference Finals run this season, which ended in OKC blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Golden State Warriors. Now, neither Ibaka nor Durant are on the Thunder. Ibaka was traded to the Orlando Magic for Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, and Ersan Ilyasova. Durant shocked the world when he left the Thunder to join a Warriors team that’s coming off of a 73-win season. Zach Frydenlund of Complex asked Ibaka about Durant’s decision. When he asked if Ibaka had had a sense that Durant would leave, the power forward responded that he had not:
No, not really. And it’s tough for him. It’s tough to make that kind of decision and it’s not easy, but at the end of the day he needs to do what makes him happy. What he thinks makes him happy, makes his family happy, that matters. We have to accept that and from the position of Oklahoma City, from the team, it’s tough if your star leaves like that and I understand that. But, there’s some stuff in life that we can’t control. The fans in Oklahoma City and the team can’t control that and if that makes Kevin Durant happy, then good for him.
When asked if he had been surprised by Durant’s decision, Ibaka replied:
Yeah, of course you’re going to be surprised. But, as I say again, if that’s going to make him happy then that’s good. Everyone should be happy, that’s why we play this game. To have fun and if that’s the case for him, then good for him.
It’s nice to hear that Ibaka is happy for his former teammate; a lot of people out there aren’t happy for Durant, saying instead that he took the easy way out. But in the end, Durant just wants to win and, as Ibaka said, have fun.
