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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal on Tuesday in Istanbul, turning a routine photo opportunity into a striking snapshot of sports diplomacy. The meeting took place on the court at the Turkcell Basketball Development Center, where Erdogan and the 7-foot-1 Hall of Famer posed together and exchanged signed basketballs, a simple gesture that carried symbolic weight in a country where basketball has grown into a national passion.
Representatives from Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, two soccer and basketball heavyweights, Olimpia Milano, Panathinaikos, ASVEL, Bayern Munich and Alba Berlin were participants, signaling their interest in joining NBA Europe. NBA officials met privately with Fenerbahce, a top European team from Istanbul, last week in Berlin. Additionally, representatives from English soccer giant Manchester City were there, as were executives from Italian soccer powerhouse AC Milan, signaling their intent to either create new teams in their cities or invest further in existing teams.
Malachi Flynn is expected to be the new naturalized player for the Turkish national team, according to Umit Avci. The news was announced during the “Fast Break” show of Sports TV in Turkey on the first day of 2026.
The former NBA player currently competes for Bahçeşehir Koleji, being a standout both in the Turkish BSL league and in the BKT EuroCup. Flynn is expected to join the team for the upcoming FIBA Qualifying “Windows” in February and March, and then in the two upcoming summers “Windows”, in July and August, the Turkish national team may have the chance to pair him up with Alperen Sengun.
NBA Europe managing director George Aivazoglou confirmed that the project will launch in October 2027, adding that teams from Rome, Milan (Italy), London, Manchester (United Kingdom), Paris, Lyon (France), Madrid, Barcelona (Spain), Berlin, Munich (Germany), one team from Athens (Greece) and Istanbul (Turkiye) will be playing in the competition.
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Aivazoglou didn't specify which current (if any) EuroLeague teams will be competing. "We're talking with some existing basketball teams. We're also talking with football clubs that have a strong brand but don't have a basketball team—talks we're having in this country [Italy] and in this city [Milan] as well. And there are places where we'll be starting from scratch," he said.
Tofas Bursa has strengthened its roster for the 2025-26 season by signing Furkan Korkmaz, the Turkish guard with seven years of NBA experience. Korkmaz, who was drafted 26th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2016 NBA Draft, joins the Bursa-based club after most recently playing for Bahcesehir Koleji in the Turkish Basketball Super League.
Marc Stein: There is strong EuroLeague interest in Spencer Dinwiddie but sources tell the @TheSteinLine that Anadolu Efes is not among the teams pursuing the veteran guard. Dinwiddie is a free agent after going to training camp with Charlotte. He and Jared Butler both have European suitors.
Galatasaray MCT Technic president Dursun Ozbek updated the team’s connection to NBA Europe, revealing an invitation to join the new European league. “We received an invitation to NBA Europe,” he mentioned during a press conference on Friday, “Last month, we went to Geneva upon FIBA’s invitation.” Per Eurohoops sources, this invitation has to do with the discussion about what it means to join the league, and not a formal invitation to directly join the league. A partnership between FIBA and the NBA, widely known as NBA Europe, is in place to create a new top-tier club continental competition in Europe. “They wanted Galatasaray to be a part of it,” said the 76-year-old president of the Lions, “It hasn’t been finalized yet, but we received an invitation to such an organization. We will provide information at every step.”
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For context, Greece lost to Turkey in the semifinals. Antetokounmpo received backlash for his remark, which swiftly went viral. On Tuesday, he issued a public apology on his Instagram Story. “During my live feed, I made an inappropriate comment responding to somebody who was making disrespectful remarks. My intention was never to offend anyone. And I'm deeply sorry. I have nothing but love and respect for Turkey and people around the world,” wrote the two-time NBA MVP. “That's how our parents raised us, with love and respect.”
Eurohoops: Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a photo of him hugging Alperen Sengun, accompanied by a message of unity, wanting to put an end to the toxic atmosphere that had been created in recent days after statements made by both players. #Eurobasket
In Turkey, the Final between the “12 Giant Men” and Germany became the fourth popular sport event in the country through 2025. More specifically, this historic clash drew a viewership of 18.2 million as the country was witnessing the first EuroBasket gold-medal game of the national team in 25 years. Out of this huge number, 15.6 million watched the match on TV and 2.6 million experienced the Final by streaming it on digital platforms.
Germany became EuroBasket champion for the first time after 1993 and 5.675 million people in the country watched the game live. The majority of 3.89 million preferred RTL channel while 1.785 million picked Magenta channel.
