Shane Larkin had long envisioned nights like this, moments where his name would not only be remembered in club basketball but also in the history of Turkish national team success.
Against Greece in the EuroBasket 2025 semifinal, that dream came alive, as Türkiye reached the gold-medal game with a dominant 94-68 win. The Anadolu Efes guard delivered 14 points and 5 assists, helping guide his team to their first EuroBasket final since 2001.
“I’m extremely proud. When I signed on to be on the national team five years ago, this was the only goal that I had in mind: to bring a medal to the country,” Larkin said after the game. “I know there had been a drought for quite some time when I joined the team. So to be here right now, guaranteed a medal is a great feeling. But I would really love for that medal to be gold.”
Looking ahead to Sunday’s final against Germany, Larkin was clear about the mission. “We’re going to go out here in the next few days and strategize and work on our bodies and try to stay focused and come out there in the next game and try to win a medal, a gold one.”
Of course, the semifinal stage belonged to Ercan Osmani, who stunned everyone with a career-best 28 points and relentless defense against Giannis Antetokounmpo. Larkin highlighted how Osmani’s breakthrough shows Türkiye’s depth.
“It’s the same thing that I’ve been saying from the beginning. There are 12 quality players on this team, and at the end of the day, it could be any of us. It’s not going to be Alpi every game or me, Cedi, or the bigger names that usually get the notoriety. There are so many guys on this roster that can come out and have huge moments. Today it was Ercan, and just extremely happy to have him on my team, especially in Efes and on the national team. With that performance, he showed the world the kind of player that he is.”
Larkin also made a point to acknowledge captain Cedi Osman, who played through pain after being a game-time decision with an ankle injury.
“We were all kind of up in the air. He tried some stuff at shootaround this morning, but it was a game-time decision,” Larkin explained. “But him being the captain and him playing on the national team for the many years that he has, to be in this moment, for him to step up and play through pain and be out there and give his all for his teammates is everything. And it’s the sacrifice that you need to have in these kinds of tournaments.”
That sacrifice, according to Larkin, reflects the team’s collective spirit.
“I think that mentality has been what’s pushed us to this moment. It’s all about us. We believe in each other, we’re here for each other. We got each other’s backs. And the fact that he did that today was really huge for our captain.”
Now, the final challenge awaits against the reigning World Champions, Germany.
“Germany’s a great team. It’s going to be a challenging game. They’re high octane, play fast, up-tempo,” Larkin admitted. “But at the end of the day, I think we’ve shown throughout the tournament that we’re just as qualified as anybody to go out there and win this tournament. So we have to go back, watch some film, understand our game plan, execute it, and then just come out here and fight. And if we come out here and fight and give everything that we have, anything’s possible.”
Shane Larkin isn't done yet: "I would love for that medal to be gold"#Eurobasket https://t.co/OA8R1FGZTK
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) September 13, 2025
