Ibaka a good fit for Spain

Should Spain national basketball team coach Sergio Scariolo wish it so, he can now select Serge Ibaka, the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA center, for the European Championships in Lithuania after the Cabinet approved the naturalization of the Republic of the Congo-born 21-year-old.

Scariolo included Ibaka in his provisional list of players for the tournament, which will take place in Lithuania from August 31 to September 18, although he had also kept Real Madrid's Nikola Mirotic's business card close at hand in the case that Ibaka's case hit a snag. Under International Basketball Federation rules only one naturalized player is allowed to represent a national team. In selecting Ibaka over Mirotic - a Montenegro-born player who already holds a Spanish passport - Scariolo cited the former's NBA experience and his greater physical presence.

Ibaka, whose career in the sport began at L'Hospitalet juniors, has always dreamed of playing for Spain: "Today is a very happy day for me," he said. "To have the opportunity to give back to this country everything it has given me makes me very happy and proud. I want to thank all the institutions for the help I have had to make this moment possible, above all the Spanish Basketball Federation, its president, José Luis Sáez, Sergio Scariolo, and my colleagues in the sport, who have backed me in this process. Now I just hope to be able to help the team in every way I can. I am looking forward to the 27th, to being with my teammates in the national team."

Ibaka learned of the news as he awaited a flight to the Republic of Congo to participate in a UNICEF act, the Spanish Basketball Federation said on its website. The announcement was made by the new spokesman for the government, José Blanco, who might not be the closest follower of basketball, referring to Ibaka as "Ikea."

Sáez emphasized the desire of the player to represent Spain: "We are proud of his commitment and the effort made on his part to become one Spaniard more and to be with us. Serge is an example of commitment and involvement."

Ibaka arrived in Spain in 2006 to play for L'Hospitalet in the second tier of the Spanish divisions. Two years later he was snapped up by Oklahoma as the 24th pick in the first round of the NBA draft, but remained in Spain to continue learnin ghis craft at Ricoh Manresa of the ACB League, Spain's top division.

Oklahoma took him to the NBA a year later, where he has become a key player in the team. This year was his finest season to date, with averages of 9.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game as Oklahoma reached the Western Conference final.