Turkey has been sensational during EuroBasket 2025. They ended the group stages spotless, beating Nikola Jokic’s Serbia in their final game. Aside from Germany, they are the only team to have an undefeated record so far. Powered by Alperen Sengun’s heroics, they head into the knockout stages full of confidence. But they also have a bitter taste in their mouth.
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Turkey’s head coach, Ergin Ataman, felt disrespected by FIBA. As mentioned, Turkey has been unscathed in their EuroBasket campaign so far. Yet, their knockout stage game against Sweden starts at 12 noon. As one of the top teams, not getting the same exposure as Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Greece or Luka Doncic’s Slovenia who will be playing in the evening, ensuring crowd’s support frustrated Ataman.
“The only thing that I don’t like here is the disrespect of FIBA against us, against the first team in Group A, that finished unbeaten in first place, and we must play the game early tomorrow at 12 o’clock,” said the Turkey head coach.
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Having been flawless in their group stage games, Ataman expected Turkey’s games to be at a time when the crowds fill up the arena to watch the best team play. They are in contention to be one of the favorites for the tournament. Maybe it has something to do with them playing Sweden, who have only managed to win one game thus far.
Turkiye’s head coach Ergin Ataman slams the schedule of #EuroBasket playoffs 🗣️🇹🇷
Here’s are his comments: https://t.co/SXpB2E7OMb pic.twitter.com/S2nC4C56tq
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) September 5, 2025
But regardless of the time, Ataman sent an intimidating message to the competition. “But anyway, everybody wants to know, even if we play in 3 AM, nobody can stop our goal to advance for the medal,” he added. Because for Turkey, a medal means everything. They last won a silver in 2001, when they hosted the tournament.
Judging from their performances this season, they have outlasted every challenge so far in one of the tougher groups of the competition. Likewise, they are aiming for the top, and they have the arsenal to get it done.
Turkey and Alperen Sengun have been sublime
From a look at their roster, Turkey didn’t send shockwaves. Sengun and Adem Bona are the only active NBA players on their roster. But as a group, their performances shook EuroBasket. Turkey hasn’t just won all their games. They have decisively dealt with every opponent through flawless performances.
Serbia was the biggest challenge, which they beat in a nail-biting contest. Even with that close victory, they managed to beat opponents by an average of 20 points. At the heart of it is Alperen Sengun. The versatile center leads Turkey in every major statistic and has scored 20 or more points in four consecutive games.
What Turkey possesses is the gift of teamwork. They are selfless, willing to share the ball, but still selfish with their aims of winning a medal. They are only going to get closer as EuroBasket gives them a 98% chance at beating Sweden in the first round. And then, the real test begins.
If Turkey manages to hold expectations and beat Sweden, there’s a chance they could face Greece or the hosts, Latvia. Greece is empowered by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s dominance. Latvia has a raging fanbase that will make Riga an intimidating place to play. But despite their advantages, Turkey hasn’t been rattled yet.
They have a mix of former NBA pros and players from international leagues working in symphony. Ataman’s glare at the medal isn’t just a confidence from their group stage excellence. Turkey is a force to be reckoned with, and they have a great chance at bagging a medal this year.
Written by
Edited by
Tanay Sahai