"I will go wherever basketball takes me"

Serge Ibaka is 21 years old. He is a starting forward for Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA, was on the winning side in last Saturday's All Star Rookie Challenge and participated in the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. When playing for Manresa in Spain, he won the same contest in 2008. All very impressive, but even more so taking into account that Ibaka lived through a civil war in his native Republic of Congo in his youth. Ibaka, whose career began in Spain, is in the process of gaining nationalization.

Question. Does a Spanish fan base make you feel more Spanish?

Answer. I love it. It makes me feel like just another Spaniard. They treat me like one of their own. I'm not in control of the [naturalization] process - there are other people doing it, but I have this opportunity and I will return it somehow through the national team. After what they have done for me, that would be good.

"I feel like just another Spaniard. They treat me like one of their own"

Q. What has been your biggest obstacle in recent years?

A. When I was in Spain I couldn't play for my team, L'Hospitalet juniors, in a championship. I thought: 'My career ends here.'

Q. How do you explain such a rapid progression, from Manresa to the All Star Rookie game?

A. I have had to work a lot, during summers as well. You have to have the mentality and the heart to make it. If you work every day you know where it comes from; that's why I'm here. And you know where the story started.

Q. Who has helped you the most?

A. The assistant trainer [at Oklahoma] Mark Bryant. Whether I play a little or a lot in a game, he comes and works with me afterward. He gives me advice.

Q. Technically, what has he emphasized?

A. I've improved my shooting from medium distance and I'm more aggressive on offensive rebounds. He has always made me relaxed and he encourages me to be more aggressive on the court.

Q. Was it difficult to adapt to life in Oklahoma?

A.Very. But if you enjoy your job... I will go wherever basketball takes me and try to adapt to every situation. I'd like to buy a house in Barcelona in one or two years, and back home, where I was born, where my family is.

Q. Do you follow the ACB? Mirotic is your probable opponent for the one place for a nationalized player in the European Championships.

A. Yeah, I follow it and I've seen Mirotic play, but it's something I can't control. It's not my job to do so. He's young and he's got a lot of talent.