By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Continuing the front-office rebuild, Anadolu Efes named 40-year-old Ismail Senol as the new sports director.
The announcement was made by the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague participant on Wednesday.
The new sports director of the Istanbul outfit carries over 20 years of experience in the basketball world. Besides being an editor and insider, he went into scouting consultant roles for various NBA and EuroLeague teams.
In a message shared on social media, Senol recounted his earliest childhood memories, specifically from Efes Pilsen topping the 1995-96 edition of the FIBA Korac Cup, to covering more recent EuroLeague triumphs by Turkish clubs as a sportscaster.
“I would like to announce with great pride and excitement that I am opening a new page in my life,” he continued, “I am starting my duties as sports director of Anadolu Efes. Our club’s vision is to advance Turkish sports, successfully represent our country in Europe, and make basketball loved by all young people.”
Koraç Kupası kazanıldığında 12 yaşındaydım. Bilenler bilir, meşhur Gode Cengiz Parkı’nda basketbol oynarken, Petar Naumoski gibi terimizi formamıza silerdik o dönemler. Efes Pilsen basketbolda bir bariyer yıkıp o kupayı kaldırdığında; hayatta her şeyin mümkün olduğunu özümsedik.… https://t.co/SvzJKfgdc8
— İsmail Şenol (@ismailsenol) November 20, 2024
Besides placing Senol in the position of sports director, Efes replaced Alper Yilmaz with Gokce Dayi as the new General Manager on Tuesday.
Behind a 6-4 start in the Regular Season, the team coached by Tomislav Mijatovic sits eighth in the EuroLeague standings. In Round 11 of the 34-game schedule, Paris visits Istanbul’s Basketball Development Center on Thursday.
In the 2024-25 installment of the Turkiye Sigorta Basketbol Super Ligi, Efes is tied with Fenerbahce Beko at 6-1. The Istanbul rivals follow undefeated Tofas, second on the table.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net