By Arma Kaynar/ info@eurohoops.net
Anadolu Efes got to win the EuroLeague after three amazing – and peculiar due to COVID – seasons. Shane Larkin shined once more as Vasilje Micic matured and they created a memorable duo. However, winning back-to-back titles is enough motivation for everyone and both Anadolu Efes and Larkin want to repeat.
So get ready for a wild ride, sit back, and enjoy as the star guard of Anadolu Efes talks to Eurohoops about the memorable championship season as they are already preparing for keeping the trophy in their hands at Berlin.
– Anadolu Efes ranks among Europe’s elite teams during the last 2-3 years. Winning the EuroLeague title last year has made you a direct target of other teams. From this perspective, what do you think about the next season?
“Everyone will try to play their best game against us. Ever since the Final Four we played in Victoria, everyone saw us as the team to beat. Everyone knows we are a great team, we have good chemistry. We have very talented and experienced players. Everyone on the staff has accomplished great things. At the end of the day, we know how to be a unit. Now we need to prepare ourselves mentally and physically in the best way possible. Every night in EuroLeague, very difficult matches will await us. We need to stay mentally strong and win games”.
-The core players of the team have been together for a long time. You have an amazing staff and you have continuity. How does it feel to continue being part of such a team?
“We have many players on the roster who have been here for a long time. Many players joined the team at the same time. There are a few parts that change every year, but we’ve managed to hold the core together for a long time. We now see each other as members of a family. We’ve spent a lot of time with each other in recent years. We spend almost every day together, except for the summer periods. When you spend so much time with each other, you start to get to know each other better. You begin to form deeper bonds with each other. When we go out on the court, we feel like we are fighting with our brothers. This allowed us to grow as a team and become a special team. As we get older, we become a better team. We have a very special team this year as well. We’ll see what happens”.
-You and Vasilije Micic are one of the best guard duos in EuroLeague history. There were many rumors that Micic could go to the NBA during the summer. However, Micic decided to stay on the team. What do you think about continuing to play with him?
“I’m very happy that Micic stayed on the team. We were in constant contact during the summer period. We talked often about our future plans. It’s so nice to stay here with him. We’ll see how things go. Micic has been improving every year since coming in the team. He has become a better player and takes on more responsibility every year. Likewise, I have grown a lot. Many people focus on us. We are both very important players for the team. We need to keep improving and playing well. We need to keep playing together and help our teammates. I am very happy that we will play together for another year. I hope we can win the championship once again”.
– Last season, Ergin Ataman won the Coach of the Year award. What can you say about him? Can he be too demanding?
“The best thing about him is that he sees talent and gets his players to put their strengths on the court. Many coaches in Europe are trying to control the game too much. Every coach is trying to determine where his players will do this or that, how and when they will shoot. Usually, this works, but sometimes it can prevent players from showing the strongest parts of their game on the court. Players must have a certain level of freedom in order to progress. This is the reason why some of the players who came to the team had the best times of their careers. While playing for Zalgiris, Micic scored 6-7 points per game and he became the EuroLeague MVP with Efes. I had a good year playing in Baskonia. Then I went to the NBA and was the backup point guard. When I came to Istanbul, I broke many records. Coach allows us to play freely and reach our full potential. He constantly wants us to play confidently and shoot our shots. When you have a coach who gives you this confidence, it allows you to play mentally as yourself, which brings development. I think he deserved the award he got. Anadolu Efes was in the last place of the EuroLeague standings four years ago. Next season, he moved the team to second place. We were the league leader during the COVID season and last year we were EuroLeague champions. After three long years and hard work, it’s great that the coach is getting the respect he deserves”.
-You have NBA experience. Coach Ergin Ataman has said before that if Efes played in the NBA, you could make the playoffs. What do you think about this?
“The NBA is a very different league, there is another type of basketball played there. There are many things that are done differently in the NBA style. However, we play a game close to the NBA in terms of playing style. We’re playing a quick, fast-paced game. We usually prefer three-pointers. We are not a team that uses a lot of mid-range shots. I definitely think we will have a chance. The NBA is a very different league in terms of athletics. That’s why we had to adapt there, but I never put a limit on the potential of our team. I think our team is a team that can achieve many things. If we ever get the opportunity to do so, I would definitely like to try it, but it’s absolutely amazing that our coach has so much confidence in us”.
-What will be the biggest challenge Anadolu Efes will face next year as both EuroLeague and BSL champions?
“The biggest challenge we will face will be to maintain our motivation. Working every day to be the best team you can be, is not an easy thing. It’s a very difficult thing to be back-to-back champions and there are very few teams that can do it. Many teams can take their foot off the gas after winning the championship. After the championship, they can lose that fire. The biggest challenge for any championship team is to stay at the same level and continue on with the same motivation and hunger. When you look at professional sports all over the world, you see that it is very difficult to stay on the top. After the championship, teams can be disbanded, other teams get stronger. But at the end of the day, it is very difficult to maintain the championship level. There are only two teams in the modern history of the EuroLeague that have achieved this. Therefore, the thing that will challenge us the most will be to maintain the same motivation. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned since coming here, it’s that everyone on the roster has a certain motivation and approaches basketball in the same way. And we will continue to work every day to become the best we can be. I think we can achieve this when we work together and protect the family atmosphere. There is no reason why we can’t be champions again”.
– Sertaç Şanlı was a very important part of the championship team last season. He will play for Barcelona next season. What will it be like to play against him? Is there anything you want to say to him before the games?
“There will definitely be trash talk. (Laughing) Sertaç was here from the very beginning of the team’s founding phase. He was part of our development. We have a bond of brotherhood that will not break until the end of my life. Everyone has to make difficult career decisions at the end of the day. Sertaç had played his entire career in Turkey. He wanted to have a different experience. If that’s what he wants, I support him all the way. I hope he has a successful season at Barcelona. When he comes here and plays against us, the fans will definitely show him love. But when he plays against us, I hope he doesn’t play too well”.