Photo: FIBA

Turkiye is gearing up for one of its most significant games in EuroBasket history, set to clash with Greece in the Semi-Finals.

Shane Larkin, alongside the entire team, is “very ready for the challenge,” fully aware of the monumental task ahead, particularly facing Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“He’s one of the best players in the world, and it’s not easy to stop him no matter where you’re playing,” Larkin said on the eve of the game after practice.

“We are just as capable as a team. We have a lot of guys on our team who are also great players. At the end of the day, we have to do our best job to try to stop him, and they have to do their best job to try to stop us. It’ll be a challenging game for both sides, and hopefully we can come out on top,” he added, emphasizing the collective strength and resilience of the Turkiye squad.

The player also highlighted the advantage of having Ergin Ataman on the bench, with whom he previously won back-to-back EuroLeague titles.

“It’s a high level of confidence,” he said. “At the end of the day, we know what it takes to win in this kind of pressure-filled situation, the kind of mentality the team needs to have to go into these games, the aggressiveness and focus that you need.”

“Having a coach who’s been there at one of the highest levels in Europe, and being a player who’s been in many of those stages, as well as other players on the team, I think we have a strong confidence going into this game and knowing what we need to do in order to win,” Larkin, captain of Anadolu Efes, shared, underlining the synergy between leadership and talent within the Turkiye team.

When asked about the significance of reaching the EuroBasket final, Larkin was clear on the historical importance for the team.

“It would mean everything. For us to be able to come out here as a team, not many expected us to be in a situation when the tournament started,” he said.

“To go out there and prove to everybody that we’re growing, that we’re capable, and that we have just as much quality as the rest of Europe, would be good for us. I think we’re very motivated on trying to continue the journey that we’ve been on thus far,” he concluded, highlighting the team’s determination to make history on the European stage.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR