Oklahoma City, OK – Thunder big man Serge Ibaka has signed a month contract to join Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid of the ACB League.
The shot-blocking specialist will earn $140,000 a month and has an out-clause, meaning he can return to Oklahoma City whenever the NBA lockout ends.
"I'm very proud to start being part of an historic club like Real Madrid," Ibaka wrote on his web site Tuesday. "I'm thankful for this great opportunity as a person and as a player. I arrive with humility to try to learn from the coach and the teammates and, at the same time, with ambition to try to help the team win as many games as possible while I'm with the team. I'm excited to get to know the team's fans."
Ibaka, a native of the Republic of the Congo, is now a Spanish citizen and competed with Spain's national team in the EuroBasket championship this summer.
The 6-foot-10 Ibaka averaged 9.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game for the Thunder in 2010-11.
The NBA is reportedly set to cancel at least two more weeks of the regular season sometime on Tuesday, wiping out games through November 28.
The season was supposed to start November 1. The first two weeks of cancellations affected games up to November 14.
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