Name: Nunn breaks Ricci's ankles! Motorola Magic Moment
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Kendrick Nunn sends Giampaolo Ricci to the floor with a quick dribble and hits the three-pointer!

Nunn breaks Ricci's ankles! Motorola Magic Moment

 Kendrick Nunn sends Giampaolo Ricci to the floor with a quick dribble and hits the three-pointer!

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-12-17T19:15:00.000Z)

Georgios Kalaitzakis sees the backdoor cut from Martynas Varnas, who converts the alley-oop with a reverse slam.

Varnas’s reverse alley-oop dunk! Magic Moment

 Georgios Kalaitzakis sees the backdoor cut from Martynas Varnas, who converts the alley-oop with a reverse slam.

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2024-12-17T18:00:00.000Z)

Donta Hall evades the defense to convert a creative basket

Donta Hall makes creative bucket! Motorola Magic Moment

 Donta Hall evades the defense to convert a creative basket

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2024-12-17T19:05:00.000Z)

Brae Ivey floats it up and Camron Reece throws it down.

Reece with the alley-oop slam! Magic Moment

Brae Ivey floats it up and Camron Reece throws it down. 

Veolia Towers Hamburg v Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (2024-12-17T18:30:00.000Z)

Bahcesehir College Istanbul-Dreamland Gran Canaria | Round 12 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup   

Bahcesehir College Istanbul v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2024-12-17T16:00:00.000Z)

Coach Dejan Radonjic's team stayed out of trouble 


Bahcesehir's focus leads to key victory 

In a battle of giants in Group A, [Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/roster/bah/?season=2024-25) kept full control of the game to [claim a 73-65 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bahcesehir-beats-gran-canaria-73-65-to-take-control-in-group-a/) over [Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/roster/can/?season=2024-25) and take sole possession of first place.

Bahcesehir used an outstanding start of the game to get a 20-point lead, 36-16, making 8 of 13 two-pointers and 6 of 8 three-pointers in the opening 12 minutes. Sehmus Hazer led the way with 10 points in those opening minutes but Bahcesehir got a solid contribution from everybody that stepped on the court.

Indeed, Bahcesehir shot 1 for 14 from beyond the arc the rest of the way but its ball circulation and a rare ability not to foul when being in the penalty allowed the hosts to control the game until the final buzzer. Its main players stepped up, too. [Axel Bouteille](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/axel-bouteille/003840/) finished the game with 15 points and a PIR of 18. [Tyler Cavanaugh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tyler-cavanaugh/009601/) had his third double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds for a PIR of 19.

"I think it was a tough game, very intense. We played a good first half and I think in the second half they came back, but we didn't go back, we still play our game," Bouteille said. "We tried to fight for the whole game and are very happy with this win."

Tyler Cavanaugh and Axel Bouteille led Bahcesehir College Istanbul to a pivotal 73-65 home victory over Dreamland Gran Canaria in Round 12 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Cavanaugh, Bouteille step up in big home win

Bahcesehir finished the game with just 8 turnovers and committed only 3 in the first half as it built a double-digit lead, 44-32. It also had 17 assists, 2 more than Gran Canaria, which also finished with 13 turnovers.

Despite finishing the game with the same number of fouls, Bahcesehir went to the foul line a lot more (17 attempts) than Gran Canaria (10). Bahcesehir was in the foul penalty in all foul quarters, having 4 or more team fouls for a total time of 13 minutes and 14 seconds throughout the game. During that time with the foul bonus, Gran Canaria only went to the foul line 6 times. Being able to play strong defense without sending its opponents to the foul line allowed Bahcesehir to use its initial lead and keep it for the better part of the game.

Game Videos

In addition to the win, Bahcesehir also earned the head-to-head tiebreak advantage over Gran Canaria, which had beaten Coach Radonjic's team 66-53 earlier this season.

"It was a good game for us and also very important because we won by more than 4, so it is some kind of a double win. After two, I can say, bad defensive games, today it was totally different. Our focus was good, we did a lot of good things defensively," Coach Radonjic said. "Offensively we lost a little bit of control during the second quarter but anyway, we won."

Game News

Coach Dejan Radonjic's team started strong and stayed out of trouble 


Bahcesehir's focus led to key victory 

Okobo and Papagiannis connect for an alley-oop dunk.

Okobo to Papagiannis alley-oop! Motorola Magic Moment

 Okobo and Papagiannis connect for an alley-oop dunk.

AS Monaco v FC Bayern Munich (2024-12-17T18:00:00.000Z)

Behind the back, over the shoulder assists from Booker to Brankovic

Booker's eyes on back of his head! Motorola Magic Moment

 Behind the back, over the shoulder assists from Booker to Brankovic

Bahcesehir Istanbul also claimed the head-to-head tiebreaker against Gran Canaria, its closest rival in the standings

Bahcesehir beats Gran Canaria, 73-65, to take control of Group A

In a battle for first place in Group A, Bahcesehir College Istanbul downed Dreamland Gran Canaria 73-65 at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall in Round 12 on Tuesday. Bahcesehir improved to 10-2 and earned the tiebreak advantage over Gran Canaria, which dropped to 9-3. 

Tai Odiase led the winners with 16 points. Axel Bouteille added 15, Mateusz Ponitka had 11 while Tyler Cavanaugh and Sehmus Hazer each scored 10 for Bahcesehir. Cavanaugh added 10 rebounds for a double-double. Joe Thomasson paced Gran Canaria with 17 points, Mike Tobey netted 16 and Pierre Pelos had 11 for the visitors.

Hazer got Bajcesehir going with a driving layup. Nico Brussino made a triple and Thomasson added a floater for a 2-5 Gran Canaria lead. Jaleen Smith and Hazer each struck from downtown in an 8-0 run that Cavanaugh capped with a layup. Pelos downed a five-meter jumper and Tobey's jump hook kept the visitors within 10-9. Cavanaugh and Bouteille each had 5 points in a 12-0 run that Odiase capped with a put-back basket for a 22-9 lead. After Odiase matched Pelos's layup with a dunk, Bouteille insisted from beyond the arc and Ponitka added an off-balance basket. Jovan Kljajic beat the buzzer with a layup that fixed the score at 29-16 after 10 minutes.

Hazer took over with a backdoor layup and a three-pointer early in the second quarter. CJ Massinburg soon added a layup in transition that made it a 20-point game. John Shurna nailed a corner triple off a Gran Canaria timeout. Carlos Alocen added a driving layup and Mike Tobey's tip-in gave the visitors hope at 36-23. Tobey capped a 0-10 Gran Canaria run with a bomb from downtown. Odiase dunked and Cavanaigh soon gave Bahcesehir fresh air at 40-26. George Conditt and Odiase traded tip-ins, then Bouteille buried a fallaway jumper for a 44-28 score. Thomasson scored in penetration and Brussino's dunk brought the visitors within 44-32 at halftime.

Thomasson swished a jumper soon after the break. Odiase improved on that with a three-point play. After Pelos scored down low, Massinburg restored a 15-point Bahcesehir margin. Thomasson scored in penetration, Odiase buried his trademark jump hook and Caleb Homesley's three-pointer got Gran Canaria within 54-41. Pelos buried a step-back jumper and Homesley soon made it a 10-point game. Bouteille hit a jump hook in the lane, getting help from Odiase and Smith to keep Bahcesehir in control, 61-45, after 30 minutes.

Thomasson took over with a put-back layup early in the fourth quarter. Ponitka answered with consecutive backdoor layups for a 65-47 score with 7 minutes left. Thomasson kept pacing Gran Canaria with a fastbreak layup and followed Tobey's close basket with a three-pointer in transition that prompted the hosts to call timeout at 65-54. Thonasson capped a 0-9 run with free throws, as Odiase buried another jump hook. Tobey struck from beyond the arc and Alocen got the visitors within 67-61 with 4:10 remaining. Bouteille buried a critical jumper and Ponitka added a put-back basket, but Tobey drew Gran Canaria within 71-65 with 1:16 left. Ponitka made a floater to seal the outcome.

The Turkish club also claimed the head-to-head tiebreaker against its closest rival in the standings

Sehmus Hazer thinks he has it easy but Mike Tobey stops him with a block off the glass!

 Tobey's big block! Magic Moment

 Sehmus Hazer thinks he has it easy but Mike Tobey stops him with a block off the glass!

Mike Tobey sends a fantastic baseball pass to Jovan Kljajic for a buzzer-beating layup!

Tobey finds Kljajic! Magic Moment

 Mike Tobey sends a fantastic baseball pass to Jovan Kljajic for a buzzer-beating layup!

Anthony Randolph recently announced his retirement, and he sat down with Cesare Milanti to reflect on his time at Real Madrid and Lokomotiv Kuban in the EuroLeague, as well as his experiences with the Slovenian national team.

Anthony Randolph: Dealing winning pressure with Real Madrid, Slovenia as ‘second home’

Everything changed for [Anthony Randolph](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/anthony-randolph/005757/) when the 2021-22 season was coming towards its conclusion. Since coming to [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/), the Spanish League Finals against [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) had become a tradition, having played them twice already, in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 editions.

Game 1 was a good occasion to put the head in front against the Catalans and at the same time face a significant challenge against a superstar-caliber player like [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/). While confronting Barcelona's go-to guy, he twisted his knee. The Palau Blaugrana crowd showed lots of class by giving him an ovation as he hobbled off the court.

Tearing his ACL at almost 32 years of age meant cutting off a vast part of the journey toward his sunset basketball boulevard. Especially considering he was coming off a long-awaited recovery after injuring his Achilles heel in December 2020 against [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/). Back-to-back cruel setbacks.

"It knocked me off of my pedestal,” he told Eurohoops' Cesare Milanti after officially announcing his retirement from basketball. "I felt like I still had a lot left in the tank.

"I went from being a guy who could go out there and do whatever popped into his head without any problem, for the most part, all the way to seeing the plays happening but my body not reacting the way I wanted to react.” But basketball rewarded his resilience.

Only a few months after returning from his second consecutive tragic injury, he won the second EuroLeague title of his career, putting the cherry on top of his sixth-ever EuroLeague Final Four – only [Kyle Hines](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kyle-hines/002812/), [J.R. Holden](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jr-holden/aqo/), and [Derrick Sharp](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/derrick-sharp/aou/) have more Final Four appearances as Americans.

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1757320/anthony-randolph-real-madrid-lokomotiv-kuban-slovenia-euroleague-eurobasket-2017-retirement-career-interview/).

Tormented by injuries, the 35-year-old forward announced his retirement following a successful career

Euroleague Basketball has modified the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague awards structure to give more value to the regular season, as well as introducing a specific MVP for the Playoffs and Play-in Showdown.

Euroleague Basketball adjusts its EuroLeague awards structure

Euroleague Basketball has modified the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague awards structure to give more value to the regular season, as well as introducing a specific MVP for the Playoffs and Play-in Showdown.

Starting in the 2024-25 EuroLeague season, most of the awards will be handed out after the end of the Regular Season, which differs to previous seasons when the Playoffs and Play-in Showdown were also counted for most awards. As such, the trophies for the EuroLeague Best Defender, Alphonso Ford Top Scorer, Alexander Gomelskiy EuroLeague Coach of the Year and EuroLeague Rising Star will be awarded at the end of the Regular Season. The Alphonso Ford Trophy is solely based on statistics, awarding the player with the best scoring average in the competition with a minimum of 60% games played (21 games). Head coaches choose the Coach of the Year, Rising Star and Best Defender awards.

The 2024-25 All-EuroLeague First Team, 2024-25 All-EuroLeague Second Team and 2024-25 EuroLeague MVP will also be chosen at the end of the Regular Season for the first time in 20 years. Just like before, fans, media, head coaches and team captains will choose these awards. The votes from the head coaches and team captains each amount to 35% of the total, while media votes count for 20% and the fans’ total is 10%.

A new award has been introduced: the EuroLeague Play-in Showdown and Playoffs MVP. The winner is named by Euroleague Basketball based on his and his team's performance during the play-in and playoffs.

From now on, only regular season games will be considered for the MVP of the Month award. In the 2024-25 season, since there will only be two games in April, a joint March and April MVP award will be awarded.

All the other awards remain unchanged. The MVP of the Round is awarded to the player with the highest PIR (performance index rating) among those players whose teams were victorious in that round. As always, the media covering the Final Four at the arena will choose the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four MVP.

Ziga Samar is the latest EuroLeague player to join the EuroLeague Fantasy Podcast alongside co-hosts Frankie Sachs and Vasiliki Karamouza.

Ziga Samar joins the EuroLeague Fantasy Podcast!

The latest Turkish Airlines EuroLeague star to join the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast is [ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/alba-berlin/ber/) guard [Ziga Samar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/ziga-samar/007550/), who is a big fan of the game. With Javier Gancedo not available this week, [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net)'s Frankie Sachs and Sport 24's Vasiliki Karamouza take on the co-hosting duties as they discuss a number of fantasy topics with Samar.

Euroleague Basketball joins the Latvian and global basketball family in mourning Janis Timma, who passed away on Wednesday.

Euroleague Basketball mourns Janis Timma

Euroleague Basketball joins the Latvian and global basketball family in mourning [Janis Timma](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/janis-timma/005718/).

Timma was found dead outside near a hotel in central Moscow. He was only 32 years old.

He started his basketball career in his native Latvia, playing for Daugavpils Kraslava, DU Hansabanka, BA Riga, BA Keizamezs Riga, Barons Riga, Liepajas Lauvas, Ventspils and VEF Riga, where he made his BKT EuroCup debut in the 2014-15 season. He spent two further seasons in the EuroCup with Russian squad Zenit St Petersburg.

Timma also played five EuroLeague campaigns with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, Olympiacos Piraeus, Khimki Moscow Region and UNICS Kazan. Last season, Timma played for Darussafaka Istanbul of Turkiye and Monbus Obradoiro of Spain. He was also a member of the Latvian national team.

Clubs and former teammates have reacted to his death. "We are all shocked and saddened to learn the tragic news that our former player, Janis Timma, has passed away at the age of 32. We will always remember him for his kind heart and his smile," Olympiacos said on social media. "All our support to the family and friends of Janis Timma. Rest in peace," Baskonia added. "We would like to express our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Janis Timma, who tragically passed away last night in Moscow," Zenit said.

May he rest in peace. A moment of silence will be observed in his memory before all EuroLeague Round 16 and EuroCup Round 12 games.

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem announced on Monday that it signed swingman Egor Koulechov. 

Jerusalem inks swingman Egor Koulechov to short-term deal

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem announced on Monday that it signed swingman Egor Koulechov. The deal is for three months with an option for the remainder of the season. Koulechov (1.96 meters, 30 years old) started the season with Russian side Avtodor Saratov where he averaged 4.4 points on 37.2% three-point shooting and 2.2 rebounds in 16 VTB United League this season.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">הפועל ״בנק יהב״ ירושלים שמחה להודיע על החתמתו של הגארד/פורוורד איגור קולשוב (30, 1.96) על חוזה לשלושה חודשים עם אופציה עד סוף העונה. קולשוב פתח את העונה הנוכחית באבוטדור סראטוב ברוסיה ויצטרף לאימוני הקבוצה מייד כשתחזור מגרמניה.<br><br>מאמן הקבוצה יונתן אלון אמר: ״איגור יוסיף לנו עומק,… <a href="https://t.co/BM9lYRWOrF">pic.twitter.com/BM9lYRWOrF</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Jerusalem BC (@JerusalemBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerusalemBasket/status/1868679783879409935?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Born in Russia, Koulechov’s family moved to Israel when he was six years old and he has played professionally in the country for Maccabi Rishon Lezion, Hapoel Holon, Ironi Nahariya, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Beersheba and in Russia for UNICS Kazan. He also played college basketball in the United States at Arizona State, Rica and Florida.  

More Jerusalem news

The former Israeli junior international will make his EuroCup debut with Jerusalem

Javier Gancedo is joined by Ismet Akpinar of Turk Telekom for this week’s EuroCup interview

Ismet Akpinar, Turk Telekom: 'We set the goal very, very high'

Turk Telekom Ankara is deep in the fight to reach the BKT EuroCup Eighthfinals from Group B, ranking sixth with a 6-5 record. It comes off a tough home win against Aris Midea Thessaloniki without one of its leaders, Braian Angola. When the team needed a boost, it found [Ismet Akpinar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ismet-akpinar/004056/), who stepped up big time with 19 points on 4-of-6 two-point shooting and 7-of-8 on free throws plus 4 assists for a PIR of 26. Akpinar is in his seventh EuroCup season after previous experiences with ALBA Berlin, ratiopharm Ulm and Bahcesehir College Istanbul. At age 29, he is right at the prime of his career and playing for a basketball mastermind, Erdem Can, the 2022-23 EuroCup Coach of the Year. 

Akpinar has found a new home in Ankara and loves his new team, as he told Javier Gancedo in this [EuroCupBasketball.com](http://EuroCupBasketball.com) interview. "This is one of the most professional clubs I have worked in. We have from a sports psychologist to a nutritionist to a yoga teacher. We have great facilities. We have two weightlifting coaches. We have different masseuses, physiotherapists..." Akpinar said. "So in order for us to perform on the highest level, the club, the president, the coach, the management does everything. So I really have to say this is a high, high level team, a great basketball organization."

**Hello, Ismet. Well, let's begin with the victory against Aris. You were without Braian Angola, who got injured right before the game, but you and Olivier Hanlan really stepped up. What allowed you to win this game and what was important to do it?** 

"Thanks. First of all, the biggest problems we had in the first half were offensive rebounds and turnovers. I don't have the exact numbers, but I know that they had way more possessions than we did and this is just a numbers game. It's not easy to win that way and we controlled that a lot better in the second half. This was our main focus: to control the offensive rebounds from the opponent and not to turn over the ball so much, and this allowed us to win the games. And like you said, people stepped up. This shows the quality of the team we have. We have a great, professional team, and we secured a very important win at home."

**You are back in the EuroCup after three seasons. How do you find the competition with an improved format?** 

"I like the new system with the two groups, to be honest. And I also like the quality of the EuroCup. I like it a lot. Of course, after the Euroleague, the EuroCup is the second-best competition in Europe, in my opinion, for sure." 

"After the Euroleague, the EuroCup is the second-best competition in Europe in my opinion." 

**Turk Telekom has Erden Can as head coach. He was the EuroCup Coach of the Year two years ago. How do you like the way he sees basketball and his coaching style?** 

"He is a very, very good coach. I mean, he didn't win that Coach of the Year trophy two years ago by accident. His basketball knowledge is top-level, he worked with great coaches. He worked with Obradovic for many years and was in the NBA. You can see the influence of these two, let's say, very high basketball IQs, also in his way of teaching basketball. The best thing about him is the way he communicates. When you have a game plan, you know exactly what he wants. You know exactly how he wants to attack and you know exactly how he wants to defend, so there are no question marks or gray areas. This is something he does exceptionally well."

**Over the years, you have played for Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, so you probably know more than anybody about basketball rivalries in Istanbul. How would you describe the basketball vibe in Istanbul with so many good teams out there, including two in the EuroCup now, Besiktas and Bahcesehir?** 

"Like you said, Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray are the three biggest sport clubs by names, but there is also a huge basketball powerhouse like Anadolu Efes. You can also add to show how crazy this city is. Everybody who has ever been to Istanbul knows what's going on there and this also reflects in basketball or sports in general. Turkish people are very euphoric about their clubs, so the rivalries are always special. These are special games." 

Ismet Akpinar in in his first season with Turk Telekom Ankara. This is his seventh BKT EuroCup campaign.

2024-25 highlights, Rounds 1-11: Ismet Akpinar, Turk Telekom

**I also wanted to ask you about one of your former clubs, ratiopharm Ulm. Their program has been really interesting for years, developing young talents but also signing good players. How do you like what they are doing and the big turnaround in this club?**

"They are doing an exceptional job. I think this it's maybe the best program in Europe for young players or let's say, NBA superstar talents. I am still very close to the management. I spend time in Ulm every summer because they have a crazy \[practice\] facility. I don't know if you have been there, but this is a crazy gym with multiple practice courts, with a three-floor weightlifting area and top-notch equipment. They did everything for young talents to develop if they want to work. And they have shown in the last years that they not only develop people, but they are also very successful. They won the German championship, beating ALBA and Bayern in the playoffs and knocking out the BCL champions, Telekom Bonn with TJ Shorts, in the finals. So they are doing an exceptional job in the last few years. If I were a young prospect who was dreaming about the NBA, I would go to Ulm."

**You are a young veteran at age 29 with a lot of experience. Is that experience paying off right now, at the prime of your career?** 

"Yes, it's paying off. I realized a lot that things don't bother me that much. What do I mean? That when you are younger and you have a bad start in a game, you think 'Today is not my game'. You get frustrated, but with age, you think 'Okay, if you got 30 more minutes, 20 more minutes, this is so much time to turn around the game or your individual performance'. My experience allows me to talk with my teammates more. This is my first year as a captain at this kind of level, so this is also a new experience for me. You just know what you can do, and you have proven it to yourself so many times that you can turn around a bad game into a new game. And that gives you a lot of calmness and self-confidence. This is, I think, the biggest difference over the years."

"This is my first year as a captain at this kind of level, so this is also a new experience for me."

**Turk Telekom faces Cedevita Olimpija this week. You managed to beat them in Ankara and limit them to a season-low 70 points. Is that the key, strong defense against a really solid team?** 

"Definitely. I think this is our biggest strength, which we have to emphasize because we have such an athletic and tall team. This has to be our focus, I think when we are very focused on defense, this affects also on offense. We have to continue to play like we did in the last game, control the offensive rebounds, don't turn over the ball, defend hard. All this will give us a lot of chances to win the game."

**After many years in Istanbul, this is your first year with Turk Telekom and living in Ankara. After a few months already, how is life in your new club and your new city?** 

"I have to say I am extremely positive about the club. This is one of the most professional clubs I have worked in. We have from a sports psychologist to a nutritionist to a yoga teacher. We have great facilities. We have two weightlifting coaches. We have different masseuses, physiotherapists... So in order for us to perform on the highest level, the club, the president, the coach, the management does everything. So I really have to say this is a high, high level team, a great basketball organization. From that point of view, I am very, very happy to be here. I didn't expect it to be on that high of a level, I have to admit. It is great to experience it, to play here. And of course, it is hard to beat Istanbul. For me, it is one of the craziest cities, most fun cities with a crazy history. So Istanbul has a different place in my heart. But Ankara is also a very beautiful city. It's a huge city with over 5 million people living here. So you have everything you want, from restaurants to bars to nice parks. I would say it's a better place for a family type of player, which I am also looking forward to having here."

**This is your seventh EuroCup season and you never had a big post-season run. How much are you looking forward to challenging for the EuroCup title for the first time in your career?** 

"I'm really looking forward to that and this is our goal. We set the goal very, very high but in order to reach that, we have to play more consistent on that level. We show phases where we really play amazing, let's say three quarters, three and a half quarters. We play amazing at our highest level, but this is, like I said, the second-best league in Europe. You got to play 40 minutes at your highest level. And we are still a very new team. This is pretty much a 100% new roster. We are still learning how to play with each other to adjust to coach's game plans. But like I said, we have an extremely talented roster which can go very, very far, and I'm really looking forward to reaching that goal." 

**Last but not least, how was that homecoming game in Hamburg? There was a pre-game ceremony to honor you. How much did it mean to you?** 

"Unfortunately, this was a terrible game for us and also for me. It was my worst game. But for me, this was a very emotional game. Even though, like you said, I'm a young veteran and I'm not so nervous anymore before games, this was still very special in my heart because I never played before against Veolia Towers Hamburg. When I joined ALBA Berlin, they played in the second division, then I left to Turkiye 5-6 years ago and then they went up to the German first division. So this was my very first game against the club where everything started for me as a young kid, so to see all my people where my journey started, at the EuroCup level, was something very emotional. My friends and family were also there. This game was special and I will never forget it."

More on Turk Telekom

Despite being a last-minute replacement, Isaac Guedegbe became one of the most impressive players at the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Istanbul

Isaac Guedegbe honored to be among France’s top young point guards 

France has become one of the biggest talent factories in basketball and Isaac Guedegbe showed at the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Istanbul that he deserves to be considered among the country’s ever-growing list of top young point guards. 

Guedegbe helped the U18 Next Gen Team Istanbul finish second at the NextGen Istanbul by averaging 13.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists for an index rating of 16.5 and earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team. He ended the tournament ranked second in assists and eighth in performance index rating. 

“I am just very happy to be competing here and very proud,” said Guedegbe, who was a last-minute replacement for the select team. 

When someone is asked about French playmakers born in 2007, a number of the country’s top young talents come to mind such as Maxence Lemoine, who was named to the All-Tournament Team of the NextGen Dubai last season, Soren Bracq, Adam Atamna and Akram Naji among others. 

Guedegbe was born on December 31, 2007 and is only starting to become a name in talent circles, having never been invited to a France youth national team training camp. 

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">ICYMI: Isaac Guedegbe of Roanne was named as the replacement for Maxence Lemoine for the NGT Istanbul at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NextGenEuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NextGenEuroLeague</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ANGT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ANGT</a> <br>Below is my review of the team rosters for the ANGE Istanbul which starts on Friday November 28<a href="https://t.co/pBKEeWjP04">https://t.co/pBKEeWjP04</a> <a href="https://t.co/r9wtucW41c">pic.twitter.com/r9wtucW41c</a></p>&mdash; David Hein (@heinnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/heinnews/status/1861707309438710181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“There are a lot of great players in France and I am honored to be included among them,” Guedegbe said. 

And the 1.79-meter point guard says playing for his country would be special.

“The national team is just an extra. I would be very happy to be there but I am motivated to every day surpass myself,” he said.

Guedegbe was born in the village of Montverdun, located about 40 kilometers west of Lyon and home to about 1,300 people. 

“It’s my village so of course I liked growing up there,” he said. “I started basketball because my father was a basketball player in France.”

Guedegbe’s father, Innocent Guedegbe, played briefly with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in the mid-1990s.

Isaac was 10 years when he joined the youth program of Roanne, which is about 30 kilometers northwest of Montverdun. 

“I like that family side of the club,” Guedegbe said. 

Guedegbe’s teammate at Roanne is Robin Pluvy, whose father, Laurent Pluvy, played with Innocent Guedegbe during his decade-long career at ASVEL. 

The Guedegbe and Pluvy sons have been successful as well, playing together and helping Roanne win the French U17 Cup in 2023 - their sixth year adjoined on the court. 

“The French Cup was my best memory in basketball because I won this title with my friends,” said Guedegbe.

The point guard recalled his favorite moment of the U17 event as Zakaria Mechergui hitting a buzzer-beater in an 84-83 victory over ASVEL in the semifinals to reach the title game.

Guedegbe is playing mainly in the U21 league in France this season but he is practicing regularly with Roanne’s pro team, which last season was relegated to the second division ProB. And one of the leaders of the pro side is the former French national team star Antoine Diot.

“He is a great player who I respect a lot. He has taught me a lot on and off the court. And I am very happy to practice alongside him,” Guedegbe said of the 35-year-old Diot. 

With a birthday on the last day of the year, Guedegbe is the youngest of any of France’s 2007-born point guards. But he is slowly making his way up the list of the best playmakers of his generation. 

The last-minute replacement became one of the most impressive players at the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Istanbul