News
Final Four
Anadolu Efes Istanbul: The champs are back

Anadolu Efes Istanbul: The champs are back

Final Four

10 May 20221 Min read

Anadolu Efes Istanbul: The champs are back

The most decorated club in Turkish basketball, Anadolu Efes Istanbul reached new heights last season by winning the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague for the first time. Now Efes looks to double down on its historic achievement and enter the glorified company of teams that successfully defended the crown.

This marks the third consecutive Final Four appearance for Efes, a run of success that came after nearly two decades without reaching the continent's signature basketball event. Over the past four years, Efes has made it a priority to keep the core of its team intact, both the players and coaching staff, and together they have worked wonders.

Eleven different players from the squad that reached the 2019 championship game are still with the team. That group is guided by head coach Ergin Ataman and headlined by 2020-21 EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic and All-EuroLeague guard Shane Larkin. They are joined by Krunoslav Simon, Bryant Dunston, Tibor Pleiss, Adrien Moerman, Rodrigue Beaubois and James Anderson. Chris Singleton joined them a year later.

With Filip Petrusev and early-season signing Elijah Bryant as the only new arrivals to the championship-winning squad from last season, the team suffered from a hangover when it became the first defending champion to lose its first four games the next season. Efes responded by winning six of its next eight to even its record as back-to-back MVP of the Round honors from Larkin and Micic helped Efes finally reach a winning record at halfway point of the regular season in late December.

Each of the Efes superstars each picked up two more such honors in the second half of the season, when Micic heated up in particular. He scored at least 20 points in 10 of his last 14 regular-season appearances en route to becoming the EuroLeague's top scorer with 18.2 points per game. Ranking second during the regular season with 83.1 points per game and leading the EuroLeague with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.56, Efes clinched a playoff spot with two games left to play and finished in sixth place with a 16-12 record.

Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Rodrigue Beaubois, Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Chris Singleton, Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Dogus Balbay, Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Elijah Bryant, Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Erten Gazi, Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Adrien Moerman, Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Bugrahan Tuncer, Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Tibor Pleiss, Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Vasilije Micic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul
James Anderson, Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Filip Petrusev, Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Bryant Dunston, Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Krunoslav Simon, Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Ergin Ataman, Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Anadolu Efes Istanbul celebrates

After riding its offense throughout the regular season, Efes had a dream start to the best-of-five playoffs against AX Armani Exchange Milan thanks to its defense. Coach Ataman's charges held Milan to 48 points – the fewest ever allowed by a road team in the EuroLeague Playoffs – in winning Game 1 by a comfortable margin. Efes finished the job with two home wins in a sold-out Sinan Erdem Dome as its defense gave up a playoffs-low 64.0 points, while Pleiss, Micic and Larkin starred on offense. The latter was chosen as EuroLeague MVP for April as Efes claimed a 3-1 series win and a return to the Final Four.

After getting through the thick and thin of the season, Efes now has the weight of making it to Belgrade off its shoulders. With arguably the most dangerous backcourt duo on the continent surrounded by a dozen experienced winners, Efes is ready to make a run at the EuroLeague title, and a place in history, again.