After dinner with two friends visiting from abroad, I returned home and, exhausted, sat in front of the television. While trying to finish my article about the historic Paris Climate Agreement signing ceremony in New York, which I attended as a guest of the United Nations, I also kept my eyes on Galatasaray’s EuroCup final game on the screen.
Frankly, the excitement of the game prevented me from writing a single line. In the final three minutes of the game, I unknowingly put aside my laptop and jumped up and down with every point. The constant score heightened the excitement; the gap kept widening, and the seconds seemed to drag on endlessly towards the end. This is one of the best things about basketball, after all.
After the game, I decided to postpone writing about the Paris Climate Agreement for a week and share my current feelings.
What does it feel like to do the right things? See?
First of all, the team leader, Ergin Ataman… In my opinion, he is arguably the best basketball coach Türkiye has ever produced. He has won three European Cups. The first of these was the Saporta Cup in 2002, when he coached Italian team Montepaschi Siena. In 2012, he won the FIBA EuroChallenge Cup with Beşiktaş. Finally, he made history by winning the EuroCup, a ULEB event, with Galatasaray. Moreover, he had already declared at the beginning of the season that he and his team would win the trophy, and he kept his promise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1t4Zs9m2VE
Ergin Ataman’s speech in the locker room after winning the championship.
Of course, the other heroes of this success are the lion-hearted basketball players who, along with Ergin Ataman, never gave up on Galatasaray during a very difficult period. Players like team captain Sinan Güler and Micov formed the backbone of the team this year.
Another key factor in this success was the sound transfers. The spot-on signings of McCollum and Lasme at the beginning of the year, and Chuck Harris mid-season, all made the team’s bar ever higher, reaching its current level.
Of course, the entire coaching staff, manager Levent Topsakal, who knows the game of basketball very well, and the basketball department, who performed well despite the difficult conditions, played a significant role in this magnificent success.
Finally, former President Duygun Yarsuvat, who laid the foundation for this team, and the entire board of directors who worked with him are also important players in the history that has been written.
Frankly, I’m happy to have become a Galatasaray member during President Duygun’s term. I would never have wanted to become a member before, or after. Chairman Duygun and the board of directors, whom I truly respect, laid the foundation for today’s championship by bringing in Ergin Ataman and supporting his leadership.
Ergin Ataman sharing his joy with Duygun President after the game.
I must admit I was truly moved at the end of the game. We’ve longed for this euphoric feeling, this joy as a country, this European Cup joy as Galatasaray fans. Here are some photos from Galatasaray’s victory:
The last time I remember experiencing these feelings was in 2001. We went to Copenhagen as a family, crowning our holiday-like trip by winning the UEFA Cup. In fact, Galatasaray has won five European trophies across all categories. Here are Cimbom’s five European victories:
2000 UEFA (Men’s – Soccer)
2000 Super Cup (Men’s – Soccer)
2009 Eurocup (Women’s – Basketball)
2014 Euroleague (Women’s – Basketball)
2016 Eurocup (Men’s – Basketball)
I hope that Galatasaray’s management will begin to improve our club’s financial situation and replicate the basketball victory in other sports.
I congratulate everyone involved and hope that this victory will be auspicious and auspicious for all of Türkiye. Like Coach Ergin Ataman, I also wish our Fenerbahçe brothers and sisters a successful Euroleague Final Four. I hope they win the championship too, and that we, as a country, can experience the joy of winning a double trophy in basketball this year.
Galatasaray made history again, now it’s Fenerbahçe’s turn…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nronE1GraR8
A beautiful championship video prepared by NTV.
Tag: sports
