Turkish basketball was able to develop in order to compete at the top of European basketball, while Turkish football has stayed primarily local in the last decade. Maybe because Europe is not the center of basketball, hence less competition and more interest or maybe because the lesser attention Turkish society gives to the sport results in less stress and more creativity, basketball is apparently more successful than soccer on Turkish soil. Ironically enough, a society that does not have the habit of playing basketball is better at it than the game it is crazy for. Nevertheless, as I understood in my interview with the chairman of the Turkish Basketball Federation and former NBA star Hidayet Türkoğlu last November, Turkish basketball still has a lot of potential, and one of its biggest and oldest clubs, Anadolu Efes, can be the starting point for change.

First, when it comes to producing talent and achieving success, Turkish basketball, unfortunately, followed the steps of Turkish football and settled an import-based economy. The country produced some marvelous generations like the one that brought a Saporta Cup, a Koraç Cup and a silver medal in the European Championship at the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the millennium; Mehmet Okur, Hidayet Türkoğlu, Mirsad Türkcan, İbrahim Kutluay, etc., all belong to the same golden generation. But Turkey could not produce the same level of talent in the following years. As the Turkish economy improved, Turkish teams targeted international superstars rather than producing new talent. Thus, the country now has a weaker generation than it had 10 years ago.

Anadolu Efes, which was called Efes Pilsen before 2011, was one of the talent factories of Turkish basketball, training many great players for Turkish basketball since 1976. Although they have a small fan base, just like the Turkish Super League's successful side Başakşehirspor, they were able to stay at the top of Turkish Basketball for 41 years. However, given their most successful days were at the end of the ‘90s when the golden generation I mentioned above brought one Saporta and one Koraç Cup to the club, it was evident that Efes had found the winning formula.

However, just like all the other teams in Turkish basketball that could afford it, they had also turned their eye to big spending and short-term success. But the club's nature does not require such speed for success; given there is no fan pressure, they can easily sacrifice one or two years to develop a strong generation to both dominate the Turkish League and the Euroleague. Added to that, they are one of the teams that have no financial struggles and can easily finance themselves without additional sponsors that demand success.

Therefore, remembering what the chairman Türkoğlu said in the interview, "I will welcome everyone who wants to help Turkish basketball," for Turkish basketball to achieve its full potential, we need examples that can produce talent regularly and settle an export-based economy. Turkish football now has the example of Başakşehirspor, and Anadolu Efes would be a great example for basketball, just like it was in the past.