Serge Ibaka saw his time in the NBA end this summer when he chose to sign for Bayern Munich in Germany to begin his chapter of playing European basketball after spending 15 years in the NBA. He already feels like the NBA is easier than European basketball, mainly due to the defensive ethics in both leagues.
“Sometimes in the NBA, you can rest a bit on defense because one guy is going one-on-one. Here, it’s not like that. You have to be involved.”
Serge Ibaka explains why playing in Europe is more difficult than the NBA 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/mcAwP2VHja
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European basketball is identified as a more team-oriented game, where all stars shine within the system the coach has laid out. There’s a lot of ball movement to get players open and fewer isolation plays where one player tries to take on another player in one-on-one action.
The constant movement is also encouraged by rule differences across both leagues. For example, a guard in Europe won’t have the same rate of success driving to the rim as guards in the NBA, as there is no defensive three-second rule that forces big men to rotate out of the paint. This keeps the ball moving as offenses look to pick apart defenses through expert passing and capitalizing on out-of-position or lazy defenders, which is why Ibaka realizes the high rate of defensive activity from all players at all times.
Despite the allure of the NBA, the former Champion intends on staying in Europe primarily because he’s getting playing time.
“My focus is playing in Bayern. I want to keep improving here. Playing basketball is one of the most beautiful things one can do. I didn’t play for 10 months & now I’m playing basketball, something I like to do. I’m grateful for this moment.”
Serge Ibaka on potential NBA return: "My focus is playing in Bayern. I want to keep improving here. Playing basketball is one of the most beautiful things one can do. I didn't play for 10 months & now I'm playing basketball, something I like to do. I'm grateful for this moment."
— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) November 23, 2023
Ibaka played for the Milwaukee Bucks last and averaged 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 16 games throughout the season. His future in the NBA looked like that of an end-of-rotation big man, so it seems he’ll choose the happiness of being on the court over warming an NBA bench.
Many NBA Players Think Playing In Europe Is Harder
What Ibaka just said is not a new criticism of the modern NBA. Many players, both from Europe and from the USA, have previously said the same. The most recent example comes with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who played in Greece before coming to the NBA in the 2013 Draft.
“First of all, the game in Europe is way harder than the game in the NBA. I don’t wanna disrespect, the talent in the NBA is obviously way higher but the space, you have a lot of lanes to drive the ball, a lot of lanes to create over there it is just more intense. People pick you up full court, double-team you, man-to-man in the last 5 seconds… It’s just more physical.”
Luka Doncic dominated the EuroLeague and won Finals MVP at the age of 17 before showing his skill set could easily translate to the NBA. He has said on multiple occasions that he finds scoring in the NBA much easier than in Europe.
“Here [in the NBA] it’s easier to score compared to Europe. In Europe, the court is smaller and here there is the three-second rule. I think it’s easier to score here.”
Giannis’ teammate Damian Lillard has previously said that FIBA rules and toughness make scoring more challenging.
“Best scorers in the NBA score from three and get fouled in FIBA, not as many foul calls; more physical. Also, no defensive 3 seconds so the paint is more crowded and refs don’t blow the whistle. It’s hard. There’s so many things that allow scoring to be easier in the NBA.”
Bogdan Bogdanovic played for Partizan in Serbia and Fenrbache in Turkey before coming to the NBA. Naturally, he feels that no NBA game can come close to replicating the atmosphere of a European game.
“In the NBA, you’re not getting hit with coins or lighters during the free throws, they’re not gonna point lasers into your eyes. It’s super tough to score a free throw then. Now I know I’m not in that type of environment, it’s all confidence and mental [toughness].”
These are just a few of the many examples. The NBA definitely has the best basketball players in the world, but a lot of the technical aspects are far greater in Europe with a slower and more calculated game making it harder for everyone.
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