Tribute to the Champs: Sertac Sanli

Mr. Final Four added a second EuroLeague title to his résumé in Abu Dhabi

For the last six straight editions of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, one man has always been present: Sertac Sanli. The Turkish big man, who lifted his first EuroLeague championship with Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 2021, became a two-time champion in Abu Dhabi by going all the way with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

Ever since 2019, Sanli has known what is required at the Final Four. Aside from 2020, when the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and therefore the Final Four didn’t take place, Sanli has featured in the last six editions of the Final Four. Now 33, his experience was important in helping Fenerbahce secure its second EuroLeague crown eight years after first becoming Europe’s champion.

Sanli played in 33 games this season for coach Saras Jasikevicius’s squad, averaging 5.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in a little over 13 minutes per night. Particularly during the regular season, he netted 7 or more points 14 times, showing that he was an important contributor for the team.

Although he played a total of 12:33 minutes in the postseason, including 3:06 minutes at the Final Four, his know-how and wise words were important traits for Coach Jasikevicius, whose side replicated the feat of Zeljko Obradovic’s 2017 squad by winning the EuroLeague.