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Turkey attempted to naturalize Kendrick Nunn for EuroBasket 2025

EuroBasket - The Turkish basketball federation considered having Kendrick Nunn play in EuroBasket 2025, before ultimately maintaining their trust in Shane Larkin.
Turkey attempted to naturalize Kendrick Nunn for EuroBasket 2025
Photo Credit : Sébastien Grasset

Kendrick Nunn (6’4″, 30 years old) could have worn the jersey of Turkey during EuroBasket 2025. This was revealed by Hidayet Turkoglu, president of the Turkish Basketball Federation, in an interview with Sports Digitale. Eventually, the federation chose to keep Shane Larkin (5’11 », 32 years old) as their naturalized player for the competition.

Shane Larkin preferred over Kendrick Nunn

« We considered Kendrick Nunn, but after reflection, we decided to continue with Shane Larkin, » stated Hidayet Turkoglu. « He has always felt like a member of this family, » he added about the Anadolu Efes point guard, who has already represented Turkey multiple times internationally.

Former Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers player, Kendrick Nunn joined Panathinaikos in fall 2023 and quickly established himself as one of EuroLeague’s best guards. His performances attracted attention from several European federations, starting with Turkey, always in search of an international-level point guard.

But despite the interest in Nunn, it’s Larkin who will represent Turkey at EuroBasket 2025, with the final phase taking place in Riga (Latvia). The latter, perfectly integrated into the Turkish system for several years, has shown his availability to defend the country’s colors once again.

PlayerTeam
Yigit ArslanBesiktas Istanbul (Turkey)
Onuralp BitimFenerbahce Istanbul (Turkey)
Adem BonaPhiladelphia 76ers (NBA)
Sehmus HazerBahcesehir Koleji (Turkey)
Furkan KorkmazBahcesehir Koleji (Turkey)
Shane LarkinAnadolu Efes Istanbul (Turkey, EuroLeague)
Sarper David MutafAnadolu Efes Istanbul (Turkey, EuroLeague)
Cedi OsmanPanathinaikos Athens (Greece, EuroLeague)
Ercan OsmaniAnadolu Efes Istanbul (Turkey, EuroLeague)
Sertac SanliFree agent
Yigitcan SaybirTofas Bursa (Turkey)
Alperen SengunHouston Rockets (NBA)
Kenan SipahiBahcesehir Koleji (Turkey)
Berk UgurluBesiktas Istanbul (Turkey)
Erkan YilmazAnadolu Efes Istanbul (Turkey, EuroLeague)
Omer YurtsevenPanathinaikos Athens (Turkey, EuroLeague)

A Strategic Choice

By keeping Larkin, Turkey is betting on continuity. Naturalizing a player requires time, commitment, and real investment on a collective level. The Turkish team didn’t want to disrupt everything just weeks before the European competition.

« Shane has always been there for us when we needed him. He’s a player who knows our system, who understands our expectations, » emphasized Hidayet Turkoglu.

A few months before EuroBasket, Turkey clearly shows its intentions: rely on a stable and experienced core rather than starting from scratch with a new naturalization.

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August 2, 2025

Lilian Bordron

Image Gabriel Pantel-Jouve
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve est le fondateur et rédacteur en chef de BeBasket, qu’il anime depuis 2010 (sous le nom de Catch & Shoot). Passé par l’Ecole Publique de Journaliste de Tours, puis deux universités en Amérique du Nord, il a pu développer son expertise sur le basket français, de la Ligue Nationale aux divisions amateurs, durant ces 20 dernières années. En parallèle, il est aussi engagé dans le développement de clubs du côté de Montpellier.

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