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Two years ago, Oklahoma City Thunder player Serge Ibaka learned that he was the father of a beautiful little girl by the name or Raine. But Raine was no baby when she first laid eyes on her famous father—she was at least five years old!

In a new documentary titled “Son of the Congo,” Serge opens up about the fact that he didn’t know he was a father until just a couple of years ago. As the story goes, the athlete’s then girlfriend became pregnant–unbeknownst to him—before he left Congo at age 17.

Serge’s father eventually learned of the pregnancy and stepped in to help raise Raine, now 8, along with her mother. He kept the child a secret from his son until just a few years ago.

“I left Congo and then the news came to my family that she was pregnant and that I left some woman here pregnant,” he explains in the documentary. “My dad told them, ‘Please, my son is young. He just left his family, his parents, his country, he’s too young. He don’t know nobody. He’s by himself. Please give don’t give my son pressure.”

After learning of Raine’s existence, Serge admits that he was pretty upset with his father for keeping it a secret, but he eventually got over it.

“It was kind of shocking when I heard it,” he confessed. “He was trying to do his job to protect me because I was young.”

Serge and Raine have since formed a strong bond. She still lives in Congo with her mother, but it appears that this will change soon.

“I see her every time I come back for the summer,” he explained. “I put her in school. She’s speaking English already. I prepare everything for her to come and visit and [eventually] come live in Europe or in the States with me.”

In a November 2014 interview, he referred to the little cutie as his “best friend”

“I give her the best, everything because everything I do right now is for her,” he told KFOR.

Sweet. He has a pretty remarkable story. “Son of the Congo” is available for viewing online at Grantland and will air on ESPN on April 17.

Check out a trailer for “Son of the Congo” below.

Follow Jazmine on Twitter @JazmineDenise

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