Last year, Anadolu Efes defeated Barcelona in the finals to win the EuroLeague, Europe’s biggest basketball tournament. Repeating this success after Fenerbahçe wasn’t enough for coach Ergin Ataman, who stated that they were aiming for a second consecutive championship. Despite those who often overlooked the ambitious Ergin Ataman’s success at the time, and who said, “Oh no, you’ve won Europe’s biggest trophy, you’ve etched your name in gold, this success will be enough for you for life,” Ataman and his team repeated the championship, this time defeating Barcelona’s arch-rival in Spain, Real Madrid. Hats off to Ergin Ataman.
In essence, Anadolu Efes’s meteoric rise to success began with Ergin Ataman taking the helm. When Ergin Ataman took the helm at Anadolu Efes midway through the 2017-2018 season, Anadolu Efes finished last in the EuroLeague group stage. Following a rapid restructuring, Anadolu Efes reached the Final Four the following season, defeating Fenerbahçe by a decisive 92-73 in the semifinals and losing 91-83 to CSKA Moscow in the finals, missing out on the trophy. Anadolu Efes’s last place finish the previous season, reaching the Final Four the following season, and then reaching the Finals is a success story etched in World Basketball history.
First EuroLeague Championship in 2021
Following this, Anadolu Efes defeated its groupmates in the 2019-2020 EuroLeague regular season, finishing in first place. Winning 24 of its 28 games, Anadolu Efes broke the EuroLeague record that season. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic that broke out in 2020, the Final Four games were canceled, and no champion was declared.
The championship Anadolu Efes deserved came in the following season, the 2020-2021 season. I wrote about Anadolu Efes’ achievement of one of the greatest successes in Turkish basketball history in my blog post last year. I’m sharing it again as a reminder:https://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/efsane-efes-sonunda-avrupanin-zirvesinde
In last year’s Final Four, they defeated CSKA Moscow, the team they had lost to in the previous final, 89-86 in the semifinals, and thus faced Barcelona in the final. They then defeated Barcelona, one of Europe’s best teams, 86-81, in the final to clinch the title. Let’s hear the story of this championship from Ergin Ataman:
The Olympiacos victory that sent them to the final
This year, after beating Olympiacos in the first game of the Final Four with a Micic three-pointer in the final seconds, they faced Real Madrid in the final. Here’s a look at Micic’s legendary basket from the Anadolu Efes bench:
I’d also like to share a summary of this incredible semifinal game of this year’s Final Four with you:
Achieving such a victory in front of over 11,000 Greek fans, who filled much of the arena in the game played in Serbia, is not something every brave soul can achieve. Kudos to Anadolu Efes.
And the final opponent was Real Madrid.
In the final, Real Madrid, who defeated their mighty rival Barcelona in the semifinals during a period dominated by Barcelona all season, faced Anadolu Efes. Anadolu Efes, the less panicked side in the final, beat Real Madrid 58-57. I’m sharing the summary of this game as well:
As for the game summary, the strengths of both sides were clear. Efes’s short players were going to be a battle with Real’s big men. Tavares’ dominance and our struggles offensively in the first half caused concern. However, Taveres’ second foul on Larkin’s final fast break, which sent him to the bench, was the deciding factor. Of course, in Tavares’ absence, Real Madrid’s other key center, Poirier, dominated the game. Meanwhile, the occasional appearance and good play of our big man Tibor Pleiss brought relief to the Navy Blue and Whites.
Dunston’s third foul, coupled with Larkin and Mircic driving the scoring despite our lack of offensive momentum, kept us in the game. However, neither Real Madrid nor Anadolu Efes could widen the gap, and the first half ended with a 34-29 Real Madrid lead.
The second half, like the first, was as meager in terms of scoring as the first. The two main reasons for this were the tough defense from both sides and the numerous missed shots in the finals. Pleiss’s three-pointer and Tavares’ third foul helped turn the game in Anadolu Efes’s favor. With Larkin, one of Efes’ two best players, stepping in, and Micic, another, playing his part, helping them along with Pleiss sharing the scoring load, Anadolu Efes regained control. We’re all used to Micic and Larkin getting along so well in almost every game and putting in incredible performances. Shane Larkin’s post-game declaration that “we will continue to make history” also demonstrates the belief of this extraordinary basketball player:https://www.sozcu.com.tr/spor/basketbol/shane-larkin-tarih-yazmaya-devam-edecegiz-7149878/?utm_source=anasayfa_spor&utm_medium=free&utm_campaign=anasayfa_spor_zone_6
The Micic-Larkin duo is supplemented by Bryant and Pleiss.
Anadolu Efes feels a sense of relief when a third basketball player joins this incredible duo. Everyone now knows them well, and every team is taking drastic measures. Bryant was the hero of the Olympiacos game in this sense. Elijah Bryant, who played 31 minutes against Olympiacos, delivered one of his most impressive performances for Anadolu Efes. The talented player played a major role in the victory against the Greek team, recording 16 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block. I’d like to share footage that summarizes Bryant’s performance:
Pleiss was also the key player in the Real Madrid game. Pleiss, who especially dominated in the second half, highlighted his performance in the Real Madrid game:
I’d also like to share a video analyzing Anadolu Efes’ achievements in this year’s Final Four: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5fW1V9J6N0
I wholeheartedly congratulate Ergin Ataman and his team for this magnificent achievement. While I offer these congratulations, I also want to offer a small criticism. A Turkish team won the championship in this final, but there were no Turkish basketball players playing on the Turkish team. There may have been some on the bench, but they never entered the game. At least when Anadolu Efes captain Doğuş Balbay entered the game, we were confident that a Turkish player was playing, but unfortunately, the captain was injured and couldn’t play in the Final Four. In this regard, our only consolation is that a Turkish coach is leading the team.
I covered this at length in my last article, and in this one, I’d like to dedicate a separate section to Ergin Ataman.
Ataman’s tactic of not using timeouts
He’s unquestionably Turkey’s most successful coach. He’s a sportsman I’m proud of, even being a Galatasaray fan. He’s a basketball genius who can act with both emotion and intellect, enabling players to reach their full potential. He did it again in this game, leaving his opponent helpless in the final quarter of the Real Madrid game without using his timeout. In a fiercely contested game, both teams played fierce defense, resulting in a limited scoreline. However, Ergin Ataman once again dominated the game thanks to the tactics employed. A student of Aydın Örs, Ergin Ataman brings enthusiasm and excitement to every game.
Ergin Ataman is a strategic hero. He declares his goals from the outset and sets the appropriate roster, coaching staff, budget, and playing system before setting off. He has also managed to shed his former impulsive behavior and now bolsters his self-confidence with his mature attitude. He is achieving all the goals he has promised. Now, as Anadolu Efes celebrates its EuroLeague championship, he has promised the “European Championship” for our National Team: “With Alperen, Cedi, Furkan, and Ömer Faruk arriving from the NBA, and Sertaç from Barcelona, our National Team, led by Larkin, will certainly compete for the championship. Then there are the World Cup qualifiers. We have goals, and we will demonstrate our strength.” We wish Ergin Ataman, who keeps his promises, many more successes. Hopefully, we will become European Champions as a national team. Ergin Ataman will then continue his success in the NBA. Let’s recall the interview with Ataman, who openly stated that he has an NBA goal after Anadolu Efes: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cd7fN-QIqef/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=
I’d also like to share with you a piece of news about Ergin Ataman making history by doing what he said: https://www.sozcu.com.tr/spor/basketbol/ergin-ataman-dedigini-yapti-ve-tarihe-gecti-7149390/?utm_source=anasayfa_spor&utm_medium=free&utm_campaign=anasayfa_spor_zone_7
I’d also like you to read a piece of news about Ergin Ataman’s achievements: https://www.t24.com.tr/haber/avrupa-basketbolunun-zirvelerinde-basantrenor-ergin-ataman,1036119
Anadolu Efes’s resurgence story
After reading these articles, you can clearly see that he is by far the best coach in Turkey. I wish Galatasaray had utilized him more. Fortunately, Anadolu Efes’ owner, Tuncay Özilhan, is a family friend and someone we all love. I congratulate Tuncay Özilhan for persistently standing behind his investments for 46 years. This vision is his. Personally, I’m delighted that these investments, albeit late, are finally paying off. Efes has always had good players and the best youth academy in Turkey. There was always a lack of a good coach, and Ergin Ataman, a mature player in every respect and in his prime, filled that gap. Since winning the Koraç Cup in 1996, he hasn’t been able to achieve success in Europe. He also experienced fluctuating statistics in the Turkish league. Efes Pilsen, who last won the title in the 2004-05 season, had to wait until the 2018-19 season. The 2010s were particularly challenging for Efes Pilsen, as it was known at the time. A law passed in 2011 changed the team’s name to Anadolu Efes, and Ergin Ataman, who had previously won the championship with Beşiktaş and Galatasaray, returned to the team, ending Anadolu Efes’ long-standing league championship drought. Then came the long-awaited European trophy.
Under Ergin Ataman’s management, the Navy Blue and Whites defeated Barcelona in last year’s EuroLeague final to take home the trophy, and this season, they defeated another Spanish giant, Real Madrid, to win their second consecutive European championship. The team that brought Turkey its first European trophy also made history by becoming the first Turkish team to win two consecutive EuroLeague titles.
The location of the two recent championships was also a curious coincidence. Anadolu Efes won the last EuroLeague tournament in Pléiss’s hometown of Cologne, Germany, and this year’s tournament in Micic’s hometown of Belgrade, Serbia.
We hope that Anadolu Efes’s long-standing success story will be a lesson to all other sports clubs. As you can see, these successes don’t come easily. Anadolu Efes has finally won Europe’s biggest trophy 45 years after its founding. The following year, they won their second championship, making history as one of only eight European teams to win back-to-back championships. I hope these successes don’t end with Anadolu Efes and Ergin Ataman; other Turkish basketball teams will achieve even more success in Europe.
Bonus: Anadolu Efes’ visit to Anıtkabir: https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1529800675336527873?s=20&t=3BO4lgBM8sL_LmVwREq44g
The song Anadolu Efes performed with their fans: https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1529771100422524930?s=20&t=fhhBxirN-T9Gha1xSqc3tw
Tag: education
