Javier Gancedo is joined by Ismet Akpinar of Turk Telekom for this week’s EuroCup interview
Ismet Akpinar, Turk Telekom: 'We set the goal very, very high'
Interviews
10 Mins read
Turk Telekom Ankara is deep in the fight to reach the BKT EuroCup Eighthfinals from Group B, ranking sixth with a 6-5 record. It comes off a tough home win against Aris Midea Thessaloniki without one of its leaders, Braian Angola. When the team needed a boost, it found Ismet Akpinar, who stepped up big time with 19 points on 4-of-6 two-point shooting and 7-of-8 on free throws plus 4 assists for a PIR of 26. Akpinar is in his seventh EuroCup season after previous experiences with ALBA Berlin, ratiopharm Ulm and Bahcesehir College Istanbul. At age 29, he is right at the prime of his career and playing for a basketball mastermind, Erdem Can, the 2022-23 EuroCup Coach of the Year.
Akpinar has found a new home in Ankara and loves his new team, as he told Javier Gancedo in this EuroCupBasketball.com interview. "This is one of the most professional clubs I have worked in. We have from a sports psychologist to a nutritionist to a yoga teacher. We have great facilities. We have two weightlifting coaches. We have different masseuses, physiotherapists..." Akpinar said. "So in order for us to perform on the highest level, the club, the president, the coach, the management does everything. So I really have to say this is a high, high level team, a great basketball organization."
Hello, Ismet. Well, let's begin with the victory against Aris. You were without Braian Angola, who got injured right before the game, but you and Olivier Hanlan really stepped up. What allowed you to win this game and what was important to do it?
"Thanks. First of all, the biggest problems we had in the first half were offensive rebounds and turnovers. I don't have the exact numbers, but I know that they had way more possessions than we did and this is just a numbers game. It's not easy to win that way and we controlled that a lot better in the second half. This was our main focus: to control the offensive rebounds from the opponent and not to turn over the ball so much, and this allowed us to win the games. And like you said, people stepped up. This shows the quality of the team we have. We have a great, professional team, and we secured a very important win at home."
You are back in the EuroCup after three seasons. How do you find the competition with an improved format?
"I like the new system with the two groups, to be honest. And I also like the quality of the EuroCup. I like it a lot. Of course, after the Euroleague, the EuroCup is the second-best competition in Europe, in my opinion, for sure."
"After the Euroleague, the EuroCup is the second-best competition in Europe in my opinion."
Turk Telekom has Erden Can as head coach. He was the EuroCup Coach of the Year two years ago. How do you like the way he sees basketball and his coaching style?
"He is a very, very good coach. I mean, he didn't win that Coach of the Year trophy two years ago by accident. His basketball knowledge is top-level, he worked with great coaches. He worked with Obradovic for many years and was in the NBA. You can see the influence of these two, let's say, very high basketball IQs, also in his way of teaching basketball. The best thing about him is the way he communicates. When you have a game plan, you know exactly what he wants. You know exactly how he wants to attack and you know exactly how he wants to defend, so there are no question marks or gray areas. This is something he does exceptionally well."
Over the years, you have played for Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, so you probably know more than anybody about basketball rivalries in Istanbul. How would you describe the basketball vibe in Istanbul with so many good teams out there, including two in the EuroCup now, Besiktas and Bahcesehir?
"Like you said, Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray are the three biggest sport clubs by names, but there is also a huge basketball powerhouse like Anadolu Efes. You can also add to show how crazy this city is. Everybody who has ever been to Istanbul knows what's going on there and this also reflects in basketball or sports in general. Turkish people are very euphoric about their clubs, so the rivalries are always special. These are special games."
I also wanted to ask you about one of your former clubs, ratiopharm Ulm. Their program has been really interesting for years, developing young talents but also signing good players. How do you like what they are doing and the big turnaround in this club?
"They are doing an exceptional job. I think this it's maybe the best program in Europe for young players or let's say, NBA superstar talents. I am still very close to the management. I spend time in Ulm every summer because they have a crazy [practice] facility. I don't know if you have been there, but this is a crazy gym with multiple practice courts, with a three-floor weightlifting area and top-notch equipment. They did everything for young talents to develop if they want to work. And they have shown in the last years that they not only develop people, but they are also very successful. They won the German championship, beating ALBA and Bayern in the playoffs and knocking out the BCL champions, Telekom Bonn with TJ Shorts, in the finals. So they are doing an exceptional job in the last few years. If I were a young prospect who was dreaming about the NBA, I would go to Ulm."
You are a young veteran at age 29 with a lot of experience. Is that experience paying off right now, at the prime of your career?
"Yes, it's paying off. I realized a lot that things don't bother me that much. What do I mean? That when you are younger and you have a bad start in a game, you think 'Today is not my game'. You get frustrated, but with age, you think 'Okay, if you got 30 more minutes, 20 more minutes, this is so much time to turn around the game or your individual performance'. My experience allows me to talk with my teammates more. This is my first year as a captain at this kind of level, so this is also a new experience for me. You just know what you can do, and you have proven it to yourself so many times that you can turn around a bad game into a new game. And that gives you a lot of calmness and self-confidence. This is, I think, the biggest difference over the years."
"This is my first year as a captain at this kind of level, so this is also a new experience for me."
Turk Telekom faces Cedevita Olimpija this week. You managed to beat them in Ankara and limit them to a season-low 70 points. Is that the key, strong defense against a really solid team?
"Definitely. I think this is our biggest strength, which we have to emphasize because we have such an athletic and tall team. This has to be our focus, I think when we are very focused on defense, this affects also on offense. We have to continue to play like we did in the last game, control the offensive rebounds, don't turn over the ball, defend hard. All this will give us a lot of chances to win the game."
After many years in Istanbul, this is your first year with Turk Telekom and living in Ankara. After a few months already, how is life in your new club and your new city?
"I have to say I am extremely positive about the club. This is one of the most professional clubs I have worked in. We have from a sports psychologist to a nutritionist to a yoga teacher. We have great facilities. We have two weightlifting coaches. We have different masseuses, physiotherapists... So in order for us to perform on the highest level, the club, the president, the coach, the management does everything. So I really have to say this is a high, high level team, a great basketball organization. From that point of view, I am very, very happy to be here. I didn't expect it to be on that high of a level, I have to admit. It is great to experience it, to play here. And of course, it is hard to beat Istanbul. For me, it is one of the craziest cities, most fun cities with a crazy history. So Istanbul has a different place in my heart. But Ankara is also a very beautiful city. It's a huge city with over 5 million people living here. So you have everything you want, from restaurants to bars to nice parks. I would say it's a better place for a family type of player, which I am also looking forward to having here."
This is your seventh EuroCup season and you never had a big post-season run. How much are you looking forward to challenging for the EuroCup title for the first time in your career?
"I'm really looking forward to that and this is our goal. We set the goal very, very high but in order to reach that, we have to play more consistent on that level. We show phases where we really play amazing, let's say three quarters, three and a half quarters. We play amazing at our highest level, but this is, like I said, the second-best league in Europe. You got to play 40 minutes at your highest level. And we are still a very new team. This is pretty much a 100% new roster. We are still learning how to play with each other to adjust to coach's game plans. But like I said, we have an extremely talented roster which can go very, very far, and I'm really looking forward to reaching that goal."
Last but not least, how was that homecoming game in Hamburg? There was a pre-game ceremony to honor you. How much did it mean to you?
"Unfortunately, this was a terrible game for us and also for me. It was my worst game. But for me, this was a very emotional game. Even though, like you said, I'm a young veteran and I'm not so nervous anymore before games, this was still very special in my heart because I never played before against Veolia Towers Hamburg. When I joined ALBA Berlin, they played in the second division, then I left to Turkiye 5-6 years ago and then they went up to the German first division. So this was my very first game against the club where everything started for me as a young kid, so to see all my people where my journey started, at the EuroCup level, was something very emotional. My friends and family were also there. This game was special and I will never forget it."