I'm a big Serge Ibaka fan. I like his blocked shots, his 19-foot jump shot and his ability to snag offensive rebounds. Hell, I even like it when he says "Serge Ibaka, I am from Congo" during Fox Sports Oklahoma's cheesy, low-budget player introductions.
But there's one thing about Serge Ibaka that I don't like. He's quickly turning into a meterosexual douche bag. And it may be too late to stop him. From NewsOK:
Thunder forward Serge Ibaka will bench his NBA uniform for an evening of high fashion on Friday at Gaillardia. Ibaka will host Fashion in Full Bloom, an evening of fashion and silent auctions to benefit Allied Arts.
Evan Hopkins, the event's planner, said he is working on getting more Thunder players to attend the event, which features Oklahoma fashion designer Johnathan Kayne Gillaspie as emcee and the fashions of several locally owned Oklahoma City fashion boutiques.
Ibaka is known for his personal style when off the basketball court. The 6-10, 240-pounder has done some modeling, including for ESPN magazine's “Body Issue” and model-style photos for Edge Magazine.
In 2011, Ibaka made a cameo in Lupe Fiasco's video “Out of My Head,” which features Trey Songz.
Yes, Serge Ibaka is hosting a fashion show with the overexposed "celebrity" fashion designer Johnathan Kayne. You have to admit, that's kind of douchey. Plus he appeared in this music video (pic above). That's kind of douchey, too.
But the biggest, most douchiest thing he has done is appear in a feature pictorial in the March issue of So6ix magazine. Yes, So6ix Magazine.
Here are a couple of pictures:
If Jeff Foxworthy starting writing bad jokes about Douche Bags, he probably write something like this about Serge:
"When your Cambodian scarf is the same size as your grandma's electric blanket, you might be a douche bag."
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I have no clue what's going on in this one. He looks like he should dancing at a gay bar or fighting somebody in Mad Max 4: Douche Dome. Plus, he's wearing a pair of $156,75o earrings. You should probably have to fight in some place called Douche Dome if you're caught wearing those.
Anyway, the So6ix photo shoot and fashion show really have me worried about Serge's decision-making. Think about it. He agreed to take part in a fashion photo shoot for a magazine that considers their horoscopes to be satire:
Haha! "Don't let your mind become confused," Aries. "Friendships are on the rise," Cancer. That's some great satire! Jonathan Swift sure would be be proud!
The So6ix photo shoot also has me worried about Serge's long-term future in OKC. It's quite evident that he wants attention, enjoys being seen and someday wants to have his own Bravo realty show. Is he really going to be able to accomplish all that as the fourth most popular player on an NBA team in sleepy little Oklahoma City? Probably not. Hell, he can't even get his photoshoot in the a respectable publication like Look at OKC, The Gazette or even Oklahoma Today. He had to settle for So6ix. That's like settling for hand job after a date.
I hope I'm wrong, but I think Ibaka's quest for fame, recognition and catwalks eventually leads to a premature departure from the Thunder and to a "bright lights, big city" place like LA, New York or Miami. Granted, the Thunder have the upper hand in signing him to a long-term deal, but it's just my gut feeling he'll end up somewhere else sooner rather than later. Beware the Ogle Influence.
