Ibaka Says His Popular Shows Helped Him Befriend His Raptors Teammates

Nothing is better than bonding over some good old fashion cooking. Or fashion, for that matter. That certainly seems to be the case for one Raptor. Serge Ibaka's shows have been popular with fans and teammates alike for some time, and he admits they also helped him establish himself as a core Raptor.

Serge has wooed Toronto with his "How Hungry Are You" cooking show, not to mention his Uninterrupted collab "Avec Classe."

It was the latter of those that sparked the infamous debate with OG Anunoby about fashion, and sent Toronto diving headfirst into a scarf obsession.

And in an interview published by The Athletic on Wednesday, Ibaka goes in-depth as to how his content creator skills helped him bond with his teammates in the 6ix as he came out of his shell and grew in confidence.

“It definitely really helped for my teammates to know me, to know me more. Yeah, it really helped," said Ibaka.

And his teammate, friend, and all-around great guy Fred VanVleet agreed that it helped Ibaka open up to the rest of the roster as he let loose and just had fun.

“Off the court, he just opened up. We accept him and he accepted us. It’s fun to see him let his guard down and just be who he wants to be," said VanVleet.

That's pretty cute as far as we're concerned.

When Ibaka started "How Hungry Are You?" back in the summer of 2018, he gave fans a chance to see a more personal and light-hearted side of himself.

However, he shares he didn't expect his YouTube show to run for more than a couple of episodes.

“And then I started liking it and I started to do that more and more and more. Of course, then people loved it," he said.

Besides his love for the camera, Ibaka, who has been sharing workout and, yes, scarf tips from his self-isolation, also admitted his side projects became an escape of sorts after rough games.

"I have fun. I laugh," he says. "The people I work with, they’re so cool, or my guests. All of the concepts are funny. And I forget about (the game).

"The next day I come back to practice, and in my mind, I’m fresh and ready to go."

Amen to that, Serge.