Basketball in Turkey
If you think that the only sport in Turkey worth watching is football, you’re wrong! Basketball is big business in Turkey, and the Super League is one of the most watched leagues in the country. On a regular basis, the big teams take part in the Turkish Airlines Euro League, which pits them against some of the best teams across the continent. In addition to this, we have the Turkish Basketball Cup, which makes up a plethora of exciting competitions for basketball fans to enjoy.
First things first let’s talk abut the top tier of Turkish basketball.
The Super League was founded way back in 1966 and has captivated fans ever since. Some of the biggest teams have trained young players to their current skill level, and then watched them go on to play in the American NBA; it goes without saying that Turkey is super proud of any athlete that goes on to play at the highest possible level in their sport, so the NBA is also a very highly anticipated league for fans to watch on a weekly basis.
Currently the Super League includes the following teams:
- Anadolu Efes, Istanbul
- Banvit Bandirma, Balikesir
- Besiktas Sompo Japan, Istanbul
- Darussafaka Basketbol, Istanbul
- Demir Ins. Buyukcekmece, Istanbul
- Eskisehir Basket, Eskisehir
- Fenerbahce Dogus, Istanbul
- Galatasaray Odeabank, Istanbul
- Gaziantep Basketbol, Gaziantep
- Istanbul BSB, Istanbul
- Muratbey Usak, Usak
- Pinar Karsiyaka, Izmir
- Sakarya BSB, Sakarya
- Tofas, Bursa
- Trabzonspor, Trabzon
- Yesilgiresun Bld, Giresun
The basketball season runs to provide an overall champion, with the top teams going into the Euro League. This is a little like the Champion’s League in football, and an overall European champion is then crowned. As you can expect, these games pull in huge amounts of visitors and TV audiences. In addition to these, we have the Turkish Basketball Cup, which was founded in 1967. Again, most football competitions have a domestic cup competition, and this is the Turkish basketball version, with teams from the lesser leagues pitting their skills against the top league’s teams.
Will Basketball Ever Surpass Football in Turkey?
The honest answer to that question is probably not. There is no real malice in why this is the case, it’s just that football across the world in general is so huge these days, that the passion fans have for their teams really knows no bounds. The big football teams in Turkey have huge followings, and their dedication is extreme.
Basketball however does come a very close second. Whilst fans might not be as crazy, basketball fans are equally as passionate, just in a quieter way. Many of the top teams have youth academies, designed to train young talent for the future and really pave the way for basketball to grow in popularity even more. Big names from across the world are regularly signed for Turkish basketball teams, and home grown stars are even signed by NBA sides too.
Basketball matches are a real family affair, so if you are visiting with family when you head to Turkey, a basketball match is a great couple of hours out. That’s not to say that football matches aren’t family affairs too, becuase you’d be surprised how family friendly they are! That being said, you won’t get the big chanting and sometimes swearing that you get at football matches, if you go to a big basketball match. If you can catch tickets for a Euro League match, you’ll also get to see some of the biggest names in European basketball, right in front of your very eyes.
Istanbul is a very easy city to be able to catch a basketball match, and with most of the big teams based in the city, you can easily grab some tickets and go.
