By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A former player of both Fenerbahce and Besiktas, Egehan Arna has officially joined yet another team based in Istanbul. Anadolu Efes announced his addition to the squad on Friday.
Arna, 25, inked a two-year contract, as noted by the back-to-back Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion. In Europe’s premier club continental competition, after spending the last two years at Besiktas, he had logged 13 games played at Fener and was a member of the championship team in 2017. The five-year stint additionally included three domestic league championships and three Turkish Cups.
The Istanbul-born small forward moved to Besiktas in 2020 and in his second campaign generated 10.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.2 blocks per contest in the 2021-22 edition of the Basketball Champions League. In Turkey’s BSL, he had 13.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game.
Previous summer signings for the team coached by Ergin Ataman were Will Clyburn, Ante Zizic, and Amath M’Baye, while Shane Larkin, Bugrahan Tuncer, Erten Gazi and Bryant Dunston inked contract extensions. On the opposite direction, James Anderson, Adrien Moerman, and Filip Petrusev were released.
It has been a busy offseason since lifting the EuroLeague trophy in Belgrade. In February, powering the success in 2021-22, the team lifted the Turkish Cup by taking down Fenerbahce Beko to conclude the tournament in Bursa. However, the BSL Playoffs were not as kind with Pinar Karsiyaka and Galatasaray Nef taking Efes to the distance in the first two rounds, and Fener finishing the best-of-five championship series in four games to capture the title.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League