Armando Bacot chooses Fenerbahce, NBA plans put aside

Armando Bacot opened up about his decision to join Fenerbahce Beko during an interview with Eurohoops at the EuroLeague preseason Media Day.

The 25-year-old forward/center revealed that he initially planned to sign with the Charlotte Hornets, but a conversation with Fenerbahce and its coaching staff shifted his plans.

“Early in the summer, I got offers from a couple of EuroLeague teams, not Fenerbahce though, and I intended to sign with the Charlotte Hornets,” Bacot said.

“But Fenerbahce called me. I got a chance to talk with the coach and with some people who play here and have been around this atmosphere. I liked what they said, and it was a no-brainer.”

He added that head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius played a major role in his decision.

“Just knowing coach Saras and just how legendary he is, it was something I definitely want to be a part of,” Bacot said.

He further explained their early discussions, noting, “Obviously, he’s super intense, but in a good way. He really cares, and he wants to win, and I wanna win too, so I love it.”

Bacot emphasized the adjustment to the rigorous EuroLeague training.

“They’ve been hard, definitely a lot harder than in America in terms of how hard we go in practice and every little detail matters, but overall it’ll improve me a lot as a player,” he said, reflecting on his time with the Memphis Hustle and North Carolina.