Serge Says Knee Feels Good, Likes Billy D
By Randy Renner
Thunder forward Serge Ibaka has been working hard the last several weeks. He's been rehabbing the knee that took him out of action the last couple weeks of the regular season and had to be "cleaned out" during an arthroscopic surgical procedure.
Ibaka says his recovery is going well.
"I'm feeling better everyday. I'm still working out, doing the rehab but I'm doing well, I'm doing well."
He believes he should be good to go long before Thunder training camp opens in October and after the disappointment of this past season, he can't wait to get back on the floor.
"After everything that happen to us this year, I'm sure everybody will be excited and ready and hungry for next season," he said during a break at a Thunder Youth Basketball Camp.
Ibaka admits things got a bit frustrating as the injuries kept piling up and derailing what had been a promising season.
"Yeah but you can't control injuries. All we can control is to get our mind ready for next season right now."
Right now though Ibaka is heading out on a whirlwind trip to Europe and Africa to visit family and check up on several projects he's sponsoring.
"I have a busy schedule, I'm going back home and working with my foundation. I will also be in Ghana, Spain, South Africa and then Congo. In Africa sometimes it's hard when you're not there for the people to do things the way you want. So when I get home I want to make sure everything that I want is being done the right way."
Before he left he spent time working with some young ball players at a Thunder Youth Basketball Camp in Oklahoma City.
"I always enjoy spending time with kids, because I love kids you know, so I was really having fun helping them with basketball," he said.
He will have some camps back home too. "It's good for the kids to see NBA players, for us to come around and smile, talk to them and help them. To show them perhaps one day they can be in the NBA too."
When Ibaka returns to Oklahoma in a few weeks he will focus in the new season ahead and continuing to forge what is already a good relationship with new Thunder head coach Billy Donovan.
"He's a good guy, a very good guy. If the organization choose him we have to support him."
Ibaka supported former coach Scott Brooks too and said during his exit interviews he saw no reason to make a coaching change. Now that it's happened though he's ready move forward with Billy D.
"He's smart. I'm gonna support him, all the players are gonna support him. It is a business afterall and we have to do whatever is best for the team."