I’m in love with Senegalese jollof rice –Lukaku

Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku was a guest at the third NBA Africa Game Time on NBA Africa YouTube channel on Tuesday. He talked about his passion for the NBA, friendship with Serge Ibaka in the interview monitored by ’TANA AIYEJINA

Favourites in the current NBA season

Obviously with the Lakers, they’re loaded, The Clippers, they’re loaded as well. They have players that can guard everybody from one to five. Because now both of the Morris brothers are in L.A. and they’re both good players. The East, Toronto, because of my friend, my big brother Serge Ibaka, obviously. And Giannis, he’s going to be even better in the next two years, oh my God, I don’t even want to know. I think if the league wasn’t stopped, it would have been the Bucks against the Lakers, or the Bucks against the Clippers. L.A. was good. If the Lakers and the Clippers were playing each other in the Western Conference Finals, I told my brother, we’re going. ‘Before we’re going to the European Championship, the training camp, I am going to L.A., I’m watching at least one of those games.’

African influence on the league

We have a lot of players who have African heritage but maybe represent other countries on an international level. It’s great to see players making the most of the opportunities that they got from the players from the past. When I see, for example, the relationship that Serge and Bismack (Biyombo) have with (Dikembe) Mutombo, that’s a great thing to see.

Passion for Africa

That summer when I signed with Man United, Serge was going to Toronto and we spent the whole summer together. We were talking basically (about) how he and I would like to do something back home. Now with the platform that I have, with the people that I know, and the potential that there is back home, I’m like if I don’t do it, who else is going to do it?

Ibaka’s ‘How Hungry Are You’

It was horrendous. He’s cool with me. I saw some other people eating the craziest stuff. You see the growth of that show, it’s something amazing. The guy is creative, he has a creative mind.

Favourite African food

Rice with poundo with good chicken thighs, seasoned please. And a lot of jollof rice, but the Senegalese one.

BAL potential

It’s great, I think. Look at potential that Africa has. Just a little bit of infrastructure, and a helping hand, you’ll have top players because those are the players that are hungry, they are really dedicated. So, if they’re going to get an opportunity to make it, I know they’re going to take it. And then those players are going to do the same for the next generation.