Fenerbahçe S.K. (basketball)
First Turkish team to win the EuroLeague.
Fenerbahçe Basketball, commonly referred to as Fenerbahçe or Fenerbahçe Istanbul in European matches, is the men's basketball department of Fenerbahçe S.K., a major Turkish multi-sport club based in Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey. Founded in 1913 as the first basketball team established within a sports club in the Ottoman Empire, it is one of the most successful clubs in Turkish basketball history, being the first Turkish team to win the EuroLeague (in 2017) and holding a record number of EuroLeague Final Four appearances (6) among Turkish teams.
- EuroLeague Titles
- 1 (2017)
- Turkish Championships
- 16 (13 Turkish Basketball Super League, 3 former Turkish Basketball Championship)
Quick Facts
- Nickname
- Sarı Kanaryalar (The Yellow Canaries) / Sarı Lacivertliler (The Yellow-Navy Blues) / Yellow Legacy
- Leagues
- BSL / EuroLeague
- Arena
- Ülker Sports Arena
- Capacity
- 13,800
- Founded
- df=y · 1913
- Location
- Istanbul, Turkey
- President
- Aziz Yıldırım
- Gm
- Derya Yannier
- Manager
- Cenk Renda
- Coach
- Šarūnas Jasikevičius
- Sponsor
- Tarfin
- Captain
- Melih Mahmutoğlu
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Fenerbahçe won Turkish Basketball Championship titles undefeated in 1957, 1959, and 1965. After mixed success in the 1970s and 1980s, the club won the Turkish League title in 1991. In 2006, a sponsorship deal with Ülker formed Fenerbahçe Ülker, leading to dominance in the Turkish League. The golden age began with coach Željko Obradović, under whom the team reached the EuroLeague Final Four for the first time in 2015, and won the EuroLeague in 2017, also becoming runners-up in 2016 and 2018. As of the 2023-24 season, Fenerbahçe is the only Turkish team to score a Triple Crown.
Reader's Guide
Fenerbahçe Basketball holds a central place in Turkish and European basketball history. As the first basketball team founded within a sports club in the Ottoman Empire (1913), it pioneered the sport in the region. Its modern significance stems from being the first Turkish club to win the EuroLeague (2017 and 2025), and from holding a Turkish record of eight EuroLeague Final Four appearances (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024, 2025, 2026). The club also made history in 2015 by defeating the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center, becoming the first and only Turkish team to beat an NBA franchise in the United States, and one of only three teams globally to do so. With 16 Turkish championships, 10 Turkish Cups, and 8 Turkish Presidential Cups, Fenerbahçe has been a dominant force domestically. The team has featured many notable European players, including Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Nemanja Bjelica, Bojan Bogdanović, and Kostas Sloukas, and was coached by the most accomplished coach in European basketball history, Željko Obradović. Its legacy includes being the only Turkish team to win against an NBA team (2012) and to achieve a Triple Crown.
Did You Know?
- Fenerbahçe was the first basketball team established within a sports club in the Ottoman Empire, founded in 1913.
- The club is the first Turkish team to have won the EuroLeague, doing so in 2017.
- Fenerbahçe holds the Turkish record for most EuroLeague Final Four appearances, with six as of the 2023-24 season.
More in Basketball teams in Turkey 1-24
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