Fenerbahçe S.K. (basketball) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fenerbahçe Beko
Nickname	Sarı Kanaryalar (The Yellow Canaries) Sarı Lacivertliler (The Yellow-Navy Blues) Yellow Legacy
Leagues	BSL EuroLeague
Founded	1913; 112 years ago (1913)
Arena	Ülker Sports Arena
Capacity	13,800
Location	Istanbul, Turkey
Team colors	Yellow, navy blue
Main sponsor	Beko
President	Ali Koç
Team manager	Cenk Renda
Head coach	Šarūnas Jasikevičius
Team captain	Melih Mahmutoğlu
Championships	2 EuroLeague 14 Turkish Championships (3 pre–1967) 9 Turkish Cups 7 Turkish Presidential Cups
Retired numbers	2 (6, 7)
Uniforms
Home Away

Fenerbahçe Basketball, also known as Fenerbahçe Beko for sponsorship, is a professional basketball team from Istanbul, Turkey. They are part of the larger Fenerbahçe S.K. sports club. The team plays its home games at the Ülker Sports and Event Hall.

Fenerbahçe is one of the most successful basketball clubs in Turkey. They were the first Turkish team to win the EuroLeague, which is Europe's top basketball competition. They have also won 14 Turkish championships, 9 Turkish Cups, and 7 Turkish Presidential Cups.

Besides their EuroLeague win in 2017, Fenerbahçe has been a runner-up twice, in 2016 and 2018. They have reached the EuroLeague Final Four seven times, which is a record for a Turkish team. As of 2024, Fenerbahçe is considered one of the best teams in Turkey and ranks among the top 5 in Europe. In 2012, they made history by being the first and only Turkish club to beat an NBA team. Many famous players and coaches, like Željko Obradović, have been part of the team.

History of Fenerbahçe Basketball

How it all Started

The Fenerbahçe men's basketball team began in 1913. However, it stopped playing due to the Balkan Wars and World War I. The team was officially re-established in 1944. It quickly became very successful as basketball grew in Turkey.

With great players like Altan Dinçer and Sacit Seldüz, and coach Samim Göreç, Fenerbahçe won the Istanbul Basketball League three times in a row (1955, 1956, 1957). Their first championship win was on February 5, 1955, when they beat Galatasaray 55–47. This game was also the first basketball match ever broadcast live on Turkish radio! The club continued its success, winning more Istanbul League titles in the early 1960s.

Fenerbahçe won the Turkish Basketball Championship in 1957, 1959, and 1965. These wins happened just before the modern professional Basketball Super League started in 1966. Because of these wins, they played in the European Champions Cup in 1960 and 1966.

The team remained strong in the late 1960s. But in the 1970s and 1980s, other teams like Efes Pilsen and Eczacıbaşı became more dominant. These teams had strong financial support from big companies. Traditional sports clubs like Fenerbahçe found it hard to compete with them.

Even so, Fenerbahçe had star players like Erman Kunter and Larry Richard. They finished first in the league three times in the 1980s. In 1988, Erman Kunter set a record by scoring 153 points in one game! Fenerbahçe finally won the Turkish League championship again in 1991, led by players like Levent Topsakal and coach Çetin Yılmaz.

The 1990s and 2000s

Mirsad Türkcan, whose jersey number was retired by Fenerbahçe (2006–2012)

Fenerbahçe returned to the EuroLeague in 1992. They reached the Turkish League finals in 1992, 1993, and 1995. In the late 1990s, they continued to do well. In the 1998–99 season, Fenerbahçe made it to the EuroLeague's top 16 teams. Players like Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Marko Milič helped them get there. İbrahim Kutluay was the EuroLeague's top scorer that season, averaging 21.4 points per game.

The team also reached the quarter-finals of the FIBA Saporta Cup in 1995. They did the same in the FIBA Korać Cup in 1996 and 2001. The early 2000s were not as successful for the team. But in 2004, coach Aydın Örs helped Fenerbahçe get back on track. They reached the Turkish League semifinals and finished fourth in the FIBA EuroChallenge in 2005.

In 2006, the club got a big sponsorship deal with Ülker, becoming Fenerbahçe Ülker. This helped them dominate the Turkish League again. They won the league championship two years in a row after a 16-year wait. They also returned to the EuroLeague. After losing the 2009 Turkish League final, Fenerbahçe won the championship again in 2010, beating Efes Pilsen.

The 2010s: A Golden Era

Fenerbahçe coaches, including head coach Željko Obradović (center), in September 2017.

The 2010–11 season saw new players join Fenerbahçe Ülker. With new coach Neven Spahija, they continued to dominate in Turkey. They won both the Turkish Cup and the Turkish League that season.

After two less successful seasons, legendary coach Željko Obradović joined the team in 2013. New talented players also arrived, like Linas Kleiza and Nemanja Bjelica. Fenerbahçe won the Turkish League championship again in 2014, beating their rivals Galatasaray. However, success in the EuroLeague still seemed out of reach.

The Golden Age with Coach Obradović

Bogdan Bogdanović played for Fenerbahçe from 2014 to 2017.

In the 2014–15 season, Fenerbahçe made history by reaching the EuroLeague Final Four for the first time. They beat Maccabi Tel Aviv in the quarterfinals. They finished fourth in the tournament. After this season, their sponsorship with Ülker ended.

In the 2015–16 season, Fenerbahçe played amazingly in the EuroLeague. They reached the Final Four again, beating defending champions Real Madrid. In the semifinals, they won a tough overtime game against Laboral Kutxa. This made them the first Turkish team to reach the EuroLeague Finals. They narrowly lost the final game to CSKA Moscow in overtime.

The team celebrating their EuroLeague title win in the 2016-17 season.

The next season, 2016–17, was historic. Fenerbahçe won their first-ever European championship! They beat Greek team Olympiacos 80–64 in the final, which was held in Istanbul. This made Fenerbahçe the first and only Turkish team to win the EuroLeague title. Ekpe Udoh was named the Final Four MVP. After this huge win, Doğuş Group became the new main sponsor, signing a record-breaking €45 million deal.

In the 2017–18 season, Fenerbahçe finished second in the EuroLeague regular season. They reached the Final Four for the fourth time in a row, setting a new record. They lost to Real Madrid in the championship final. Domestically, Fenerbahçe continued to dominate. They won the Turkish championships in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Ekpe Udoh was a key player for Fenerbahçe from 2015 to 2017.

Before the 2018–19 season, Doğuş Group ended their sponsorship. Beko then became the new main sponsor. In the 2018–19 EuroLeague season, Fenerbahçe had an amazing regular season. They were the only team to stay undefeated at home and set a record for the best regular season record (25 wins, 5 losses). They also won the 2019 Turkish Cup. Fenerbahçe reached their fifth straight Final Four, but finished in a disappointing fourth place. In the Turkish Super League, they lost to Anadolu Efes in the finals.

The 2019-2020 season was Coach Obradović's last. Fenerbahçe won the 2020 Turkish Cup. However, the season was stopped due to the coronavirus pandemic, and no champions were announced for the EuroLeague or Turkish Super League. Coach Obradović resigned that summer.

The 2020s: Recent Years

Bobby Dixon played for Fenerbahçe from 2015 to 2021.

Fenerbahçe hired Igor Kokoškov as their new head coach. The team changed a lot but kept key players like Vesely and De Colo. They struggled early in the EuroLeague but improved greatly after Marko Gudurić joined. Fenerbahçe made the EuroLeague playoffs but lost to CSKA Moscow. In the Turkish Super League, they reached the finals but were swept by Anadolu Efes. Kokoškov left Fenerbahçe after one season.

Nigel Hayes-Davis has played for Fenerbahçe since 2022.

Aleksandar Đorđević became the new head coach. Fenerbahçe had high hopes but struggled in the EuroLeague, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Coach Đorđević faced criticism. In the Turkish Super League, Fenerbahçe got their revenge. They beat Anadolu Efes 3-1 in the finals to win their 10th Turkish League championship, a new record.

Nicolò Melli played for Fenerbahçe from 2017-2019 and returned in 2024.

In the 2022-23 Turkish Basketball Super League playoffs, Fenerbahçe Beko beat Anadolu Efes by a huge 42-point difference (108-66). This was their biggest win ever against Efes.

Šarūnas Jasikevičius played for Fenerbahçe in 2010-11 and became head coach in 2023.

Fenerbahçe won the Turkish Basketball Cup for the 8th time in 2024, beating Anadolu Efes 80-67. With Šarūnas Jasikevičius as head coach since December 2023, Fenerbahçe returned to the Final Four after three years. In the 2023-24 EuroLeague season, Nigel Hayes-Davis set a new EuroLeague record by scoring 50 points in one game against Alba Berlin. Fenerbahçe also won their 11th Turkish Championship in 2024, beating Anadolu Efes 3-1 in the finals. In the 2024-25 season, Fenerbahçe won their 9th Turkish Basketball Cup, defeating Beşiktaş 104-81. They also qualified for the 2025 EuroLeague Final Four and won their second EuroLeague title, beating Panathinaikos 82-76 in the semi-finals and then winning the final.

Fenerbahçe in European Competitions

Fans at Ülker Arena before a match in the 2024 EuroLeague Playoffs.

Fenerbahçe has played in European competitions many times and is one of Turkey's most successful clubs. They first represented Turkey in the FIBA European Champions Cup in 1959–60 and 1965–66. They reached the quarter-finals of the FIBA Saporta Cup in 1994–95 and the FIBA Korać Cup in 1996 and 2001.

In the 1998–99 FIBA EuroLeague, they reached the Top 16. In 2004–05, they finished fourth in the FIBA EuroChallenge. Their first big success in the modern EuroLeague was reaching the quarter-finals in 2007–08.

The team made it to the EuroLeague Final Four for the first time in 2014–15. They beat the defending champions, Maccabi Tel Aviv, in the playoffs. They finished fourth that year. The next season, 2015–16, they reached the EuroLeague final, but lost to CSKA Moscow in overtime.

Finally, in 2017, Fenerbahçe won the EuroLeague trophy! They were the first and only Turkish club to do so. They beat Olympiacos 80–64 in the final game, which was held in their home city of Istanbul. They dominated their opponents in the playoffs and Final Four, showing their strength.

Team Members

Current Roster

2024–25 Fenerbahçe S.K. (basketball) season

Depth Chart

2024–25 Fenerbahçe S.K. (basketball) season

Team Captains

Melih Mahmutoğlu has been the team captain since 2015.

Period	Captain
1986–1990	Necdet Ronabar
1990–1993	Ali Limoncuoğlu
1993–1995	Hüsnü Çakırgil
1995–1998	Güray Kanan
1998–2003	Zaza Enden
2003–2006	Zeki Gülay
2006–2010	Damir Mršić
2010–2014	Ömer Onan
2014–2015	Emir Preldžić
2015–present	Melih Mahmutoğlu

Retired Jersey Numbers

Fenerbahçe has honored some of its greatest players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team will wear that number again.

Fenerbahçe Retired Numbers
No	Nat.	Player	Position	Tenure	Ceremony date
6		Mirsad Türkcan	PF	2006–2012	16/09/2012
7		Ömer Onan	SG	2004-2005; 2006-2014	17/10/2014

Notable Players Who Played for Fenerbahçe

Many talented players have worn the Fenerbahçe jersey over the years. Here are some of the most well-known:

Italic written players still play for the club.

Coaches of Fenerbahçe Basketball

Here is a list of the coaches who have led the Fenerbahçe basketball team:

Period Coach 1944–49 none 1949–50 Feridun Koray 1951–65 Samim Göreç 1965–66 Samim Göreç / Sacit Seldüz / Mehmet Baturalp / Altan Dinçer 1966–67 Erol Demiroma / Altan Dinçer 1967–68 Altan Dinçer 1968–69 Önder Dai 1969–71 Mehmet Baturalp 1971–72 Mehmet Baturalp / Altan Dinçer / Deniz Sine / Bülent Yüksel 1972–73 Altan Dinçer 1973–75 Önder Seden 1975–76 Önder Seden / Hüseyin Kozluca 1976–78 Tuluğ Siyavuş 1978–79 Tuluğ Siyavuş / Hüseyin Kozluca 1979–82 Mehmet Baturalp 1982–83 Önder Seden 1983–84 Aydan Siyavuş / Önder Okan 1984–85 Önder Okan 1985–86 Dennis Perryman / Erdal Poyrazoğlu / Mahmut Uslu 1986–87 Faruk Akagün / Rıza Erverdi 1987–88 Rıza Erverdi / Doğan Hakyemez Period Coach 1988–89 Fehmi Sadıkoğlu / Rıza Erverdi 1989–93 Çetin Yılmaz 1993–94 Necati Güler / Faruk Kulenović 1994–95 Murat Didin 1995–96 Murat Didin / Murat Özgül 1996–98 Murat Özgül 1998–99 Murat Özgül / Halil Üner 1999–00 Halil Üner 2000–01 Nihat İziç 2001–04 Murat Özgül 2004–07 Aydın Örs 2007–09 Bogdan Tanjević 2009–10 Bogdan Tanjević / Ertuğrul Erdoğan 2010–12 Neven Spahija 2012–13 Simone Pianigiani / Ertuğrul Erdoğan 2013–20 Željko Obradović 2020–21 Igor Kokoškov 2021–22 Aleksandar Đorđević 2022–23 Dimitrios Itoudis 2023– Šarūnas Jasikevičius

Team Achievements

European Titles

• EuroLeague

Winners (2): 2016–17, 2024–25

Runners-up (2): 2015–16, 2017–18

Fourth-place (3): 2014–15, 2018–19, 2023–24

• FIBA Europe League

Fourth-place (1): 2004–05

Turkish National Titles

• Turkish League

Winners (14): 1957, 1959, 1965, 1990–91, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2021–22, 2023–24

Runners-up (16): 1954, 1956, 1958, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1967–68, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1992–93, 1994–95, 2008–09, 2018–19, 2020–21

• Turkish Cup

Winners (9): 1966–67, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2024, 2025

Runners-up (5): 1993–94, 1996–97, 1998–99, 2014–15, 2022

• Turkish Presidential Cup

Winners (7): 1990, 1991, 1994, 2007, 2013, 2016, 2017

Runners-up (11): 1985, 1988, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024

• Turkish Federation Cup

Winners (5): 1954, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961

Runners-up (2): 1948, 1951

• Istanbul Basketball League

Winners (7): 1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66

Runners-up (3): 1950–51, 1953–54, 1957–58

Season by Season Performance

This table shows how Fenerbahçe has performed in different competitions each season:

Individual Awards and Achievements

Many Fenerbahçe players and coaches have won special awards for their great performances.

EuroLeague Awards

• EuroLeague MVP: Nemanja Bjelica (2014–15), Jan Veselý (2018–19)
• EuroLeague Final Four MVP: Ekpe Udoh (2016–17), Nigel Hayes-Davis (2024–25)
• All-EuroLeague First Team: Nemanja Bjelica (2014–15), Jan Veselý (2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19), Bogdan Bogdanović (2016–17), Ekpe Udoh (2016–17), Kostas Sloukas (2018–19), Nigel Hayes-Davis (2023–24)
• All-EuroLeague Second Team: Andrew Goudelock (2014–15), Ekpe Udoh (2015–16), Luigi Datome (2015–16), Nando de Colo (2020–21)
• EuroLeague Rising Star: Bogdan Bogdanović (2014–15)
• EuroLeague Coach of the Year: Željko Obradović (2016–17), Šarūnas Jasikevičius (2024–25)
• EuroLeague Executive of the Year: Maurizio Gherardini (2016–17)
• EuroLeague Top Scorer: İbrahim Kutluay (1998–99)

Turkish League Awards

• Turkish Super League Finals MVP: Tarence Kinsey (2009–10), Oğuz Savaş (2010–11), Luigi Datome (2015–16), Bogdan Bogdanović (2016–17), Brad Wanamaker (2017–18), Jan Veselý (2021–22), Nigel Hayes-Davis (2023–24)
• Turkish League Top Scorer: Hüseyin Kozluca (1968–69), Erman Kunter (1987–88), İbrahim Kutluay (1998–99)
• Turkish Cup Final MVP: Emir Preldžić (2010–11), David Andersen (2012–13), Bogdan Bogdanović (2016), Luigi Datome (2019, 2020), Nick Calathes (2024)
• Turkish Super Cup MVP: Bobby Dixon (2016), Luigi Datome (2017)

Sponsorships and Uniforms

Fenerbahçe Beko works with different companies for sponsorships and to make their uniforms.

Home Courts of Fenerbahçe

Fenerbahçe has played its home games in several different arenas over the years.

The first game at Ülker Sports Arena was against Olimpia Milano.

Fun Facts About Fenerbahçe Basketball

• Fenerbahçe was the first Turkish team to win the EuroLeague (in the 2016-17 season).
• They were the first team to win the Turkish Cup (in 1966-67).
• They were the first team to win the Presidential Cup for two years in a row (1989-90, 1990-91).
• Fenerbahçe is the only Turkish team to ever beat an NBA team. They beat the Boston Celtics 97-91 on October 5, 2012.
• They are the only Turkish team, and only the third team in basketball history, to beat an NBA team in the United States. They beat the Brooklyn Nets 101-96 on October 5, 2015.
• Fenerbahçe has finished first in the EuroLeague regular season more times than any other Turkish team (3 times).
• They hold the record for most wins in a single EuroLeague season for a Turkish team (28 wins in 2018-19).
• They also have the most home wins in a single EuroLeague season for a Turkish team (14 wins, 0 losses in 2015-16).
• Fenerbahçe is the only Turkish team to reach the EuroLeague finals (in the 2015-16 season).
• They have the highest winning percentage in the EuroLeague among Turkish teams (Fenerbahçe 54%, Anadolu Efes 51%).
• They are the only Turkish team to reach the EuroLeague Final Four for five seasons in a row (2014-15 to 2018-19).
• They are the first Turkish team to play in three consecutive EuroLeague finals (2016, 2017, 2018).

Images for kids

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  Fenerbahçe Men's Basketball logo

• 

  Melih Mahmutoğlu, team captain from 2015 to present

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  The first match at Ülker Sports Arena against Olimpia Milano

See also

• Basketbol Süper Ligi
• Fenerbahçe Opet
• Fenerbahçe Koleji Novotel