Bucks Zone

"It is disrespectful!" - Serge Ibaka responds to Kendrick Perkins claiming the Milwaukee Bucks big man lied about his age

Serge didn't hold back in responding to his former teammate telling jokes about him.
Matthew Dugandzic|
© Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

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Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks center Serge Ibaka may be past his prime when he was one of the best defensive players in the NBA, representing the Oklahoma City Thunder and Toronto Raptors. But at 33 years old the big man can still offer something and provide valuable minutes when called upon.

Even though he doesn't play too much or get into the news, Serge recently made headlines after a feud with his former teammate and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins.

Lost brotherhood

During his playing days, Kendrick Perkins was a role player that didn't make too much noise despite having a 14-season NBA run. However, Perk made his name known is the media world, after he became an ESPN analyst known for blasting out bold takes and not holding back from going after everyone.

Recently, Kendrick got on the wrong side of his former teammate and current Bucks center Serge Ibaka, when he tried to make a joke about him being much older than he is. During a Monday segment on First Take, Perkins reminisced on his Thunder teams and took a jab at Ibaka.

“Everybody kept saying, ‘Oh, Kevin Durant is only 23 years of age. Russell Westbrook is only 22, James Harden is 22, Serge Ibaka is 21—although he was probably 30 at the time because we already know how certain individuals lie about their age,” Perkins said.

Perk tried making a joke regarding the stereotype of African players lying about their real age and the Congo native definitely didn't appreciate the humor. He issued a series of tweets responding to Perkins and calling him out for breaking the locker room code with multiple teammates.

Perk's response

It didn't take long for the ESPN analyst to respond to his former teammate. Perkins apologized but then inexplicably took it back and decided to go even deeper after Ibaka.

The majority of the NBA fandom stepped into Ibaka's defense, as Perkins has been known for coming after his peers and even teammates harshly without too much reason for it. That has given the ESPN analyst a lot of enemies and broken brotherly bonds. From Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook to now even Serge Ibaka.

The duo played together with the Thunder for 4 seasons and went through some deep playoff runs, building a true bond. However, it seems that bond is now broken as Kendrick transitioned into his second career and publicly called out his former teammate.

Published
Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.