Thunder's Ibaka 3rd-Youngest to Reach 1,000 Blocks
Though his team started the season in disappointing fashion, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka accomplished an impressive personal feat during Wednesday's season-opening loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, becoming the third-youngest player in NBA history to record 1,000 career blocks, per Elias Sports Bureau (via NBA.com/stats).
Ibaka had four swats in the 106-89 loss, bringing him to 1,001 for his career at the age of 25 years, 41 days. Only Josh Smith and Dwight Howard reached 1,000 blocks at a younger age, with Smith setting the league record at 24 years and 59 days, per NBA.com.
Howard, who began his NBA career as an 18-year-old, reached 1,000 blocks at 24 years, 96 days, needing just 27 more days than his good friend Smith, per NBA.com.
Born three days before Howard in December 1985, Smith also played his first NBA game at 18, while Ibaka debuted as a 20-year-old at the beginning of the 2009-10 campaign.
Ibaka averaged a solid 1.3 blocks over 18.1 minutes as a rookie, then jumped to 2.4 blocks and 27.0 minutes per game in his sophomore campaign. He really turned things on in his third year, posting a league-high 3.7 blocks per game in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, despite logging a modest 27.2 minutes per contest.
Ibaka again led the league in blocks in 2012-13, recording 3.0 per game over a career-high 31.1 minutes. Last season, he led the NBA in total blocks for a fourth straight year but relinquished the blocks per game title to New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, whose 2.8 edged Ibaka's 2.7.
The race will likely come down to Davis and Ibaka for a second straight year, and Davis staked the early lead by swatting nine shots in Tuesday's season opener against the Orlando Magic.
