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.
Armando Bacot talks to @bugrauzar24 about choosing Fenerbahce over the Hornets
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) September 22, 2025
“Just knowing coach Saras and just how legendary he is, it was something I definitely want to be a part of”
➕ Adjusting to schedule, experience in North Carolina, and morehttps://t.co/kUPI4nlG88
