After you finish throwing your hands up to the sky saying "Thank Ya Jesus" for this cover, NBA baller Serge Ibaka makes our crush even bigger as he talks about his humble beginnings. Check out the OKC Thunder star's sexy new ESPN Magazine's Body Issue cover...where he's baring it all.
In the upcoming 2014 ESPN Magazine Body Issue, Serge Ibaka is gracing the cover nude and looking like....this. *e-high fives Keri Hilson*
The NBA star isn't just showing off his pretty much perfect physique, he also opens up about dealing with his injury during the 2014 playoffs.
On his injury during the playoffs
I told them, "Hell no, no surgery." [The doctors] told me I was going to be out for the rest of the playoffs: "The MRI showed that you are bleeding a lot in your calf and you're going to be out the rest of the playoffs." But my heart was telling me, "You're going to be back."
On his surprise return soon after (and how girlfriend Keri Hilson reacted)
It was not easy, that game, man. When I came back the first game, I was scared a little bit. My girlfriend was scared; she was thinking I was just going to play because of media pressure. And then my sister tells me, "I can't believe you are trying to play today, and yesterday you couldn't walk!" I said "Listen, whatever happens happens, but I need to be out there with my teammates."
On his fitness obsession
I wish I had more body parts that I could work out. If I had my way, I'd be in the gym all day. I love to lift. When I don't have basketball practice, I'll be in a gym for 2.5 hours - 30 minutes abs, 2 hours lifting.
....
If you put some work in, you can have this body. It's not because all basketball players have this body, no. I have this kind of body because I put a lot of work into it. I work out a lot.
On making basketball happen in the Congo as a kid
Our court was the street. We'd collect a lot of plastic bags that we'd put together and it would become like a basketball and we'd start shooting with it. It was expensive to have a basketball. We'd just hang some basket on the street -- something we could just shoot at where the ball could go in. We used a lot of things -- a tire from a bike. That's how we would play.
On choosing basketball over soccer
My father was always pushing me to become a basketball player. In Africa, when you're a kid, every kid loves to play soccer, and I loved playing soccer. But my dad didn't want me playing soccer. He would joke, "C'mon, man, you're too tall!" Then he promised me, "If you start playing basketball, I'm going to give you my jersey." That's one of my favorite things from my dad is his old jersey. He played with No. 9, too. That's where I get my number from.
Check out more of the story over at ESPN before the issue hits stands this Friday. And check out Venus Williams' pic from the issue HERE.
Photo:Peter Happock for ESPN The Magazine
