1963 European Cup Qualifier vs Real Madrid

The first Turkish team to win the EuroLeague, with 16 Turkish championships and a record 8 EuroLeague Final Fours.

Fenerbahçe Basketball (commonly referred as Fenerbahçe or Fenerbahce Istanbul in European matches), currently also known as Fenerbahçe Tarfin for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball team and the men's basketball department of Fenerbahçe S.K., a major Turkish multi-sport club based in Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey.

Quick Facts

Competition: 1962–63 European Cup
Round: First Round (Qualifying)
Opponent: Real Madrid CF
Key figure: Lefter Küçükandonyadis & Şeref Has
Home venue: İnönü Stadium, Istanbul
Result context: Historic 2-1 Home Victory

Lore & Background

Fenerbahçe is one of the most successful clubs in Turkish basketball history, being the first Turkish team to have won the EuroLeague (2 times), as well as 16 Turkish championships, 10 Turkish Cups, and 8 Turkish Presidential Cups. They play their home matches at the club's own Ülker Sports and Event Hall. Founded in 1913 as a basketball branch under Fenerbahçe S.K., it was the first basketball team established within a sports club in the Ottoman Empire.

The team has won EuroLeague titles in 2017 and 2025, and been runners-up in 2016 and 2018. Fenerbahçe has played in 8 EuroLeague Final Fours (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024, 2025, 2026), a record in Turkish basketball. As of 2025, Fenerbahçe is the only Turkish Basketball Super League team to score a Triple Crown and holds the 1st place in European rankings. In 2012, Fenerbahçe became the only Turkish basketball club to win against an NBA team.

In 2015, Fenerbahçe defeated the Brooklyn Nets on their home court at the Barclays Center, becoming the first and only Turkish team to beat an NBA franchise in the United States.