NEW YORK (Reuters) - Congo's Serge Ibaka took the next big step in his remarkable rise when he was chosen as a first-round pick by the Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA Draft on Thursday.
"This is a big day for me -- a very important day in my life," the 6 ft 10 ins (2.08-metre) power forward told reporters.
"I feel that this is the beginning. This is a great beginning and I'm very happy."
Ibaka, at age 18 the youngest player in the draft, is making the jump to the NBA after two seasons in Spain. Last season he averaged 11.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots for CB L'Hospitalet in the Spanish LEB Gold league.
Born into a family with 17 siblings, Ibaka has taken an unusual road to the NBA, where he joins fellow Congolese Dikembe Mutombo of Houston and Didier Ilunga-Mbenga of Dallas.
He lived with his grandmother during the civil unrest in the Congo a decade ago in a house with no electricity or running water and learned the game playing on outdoor courts wearing shoes with cardboard inserts to cover the holes in the soles.
"It's been only a few days since I've been here in the United States," Ibaka said, the 24th pick in the first round. "I don't really know about Seattle or the team."
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Congo's Serge Ibaka took the next big step in his remarkable rise when he was chosen as a first-round pick by the Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA Draft on Thursday.
