Turkish Basketball History Trivia Quiz

Answer: November 4, 1921

It was played between the students of Darulmuallimi Aliye (Higher School of Teaching) and the YMCA team, which consisted of American missionaries. The Turkish team had only one training session before the match, instructed by Dr. Diver of Robert College (who was also the captain of YMCA team), but they managed to play a good game against Americans.

The YMCA team won the match with a score of 18-14. All the other dates are make-ups.

Answer: Maccabi

The team of Turkish Jews, Maccabi won the first unofficial league in Turkey. Later it changed its name to Barkhoba in the second half of 1930s and then merged with Istanbul SK. It is said that Maccabi was the powerhouse of Turkish basketball in its early years.

It won all unofficial Istanbul Leagues between 1927 and 1933. Galatasaray and Fenerbahce won championships later, and "officially".

Answer: Galatasaray

Galatasaray won this league and started its reign in Turkish Basketball. The club won many of the official Turkish and Istanbul Championships up to 1969 and was given the name "Unbeaten Armada". Maccabi did not participate in this first official league because it did not join the basketball federation. Besiktas and Fenerbahce were(and still are) rivals of Galatasaray at that time.

Answer: Greece, 49-12

Game was played on June 24th, 1934. Jack Habib was the leading scorer of both the Turkish team and the match with his 20 points. All other choices are made up.

Answer: Russia

IN the play-off for the ninth place of 2002 FIBA World Basketball Championship for Men. The score was 91-86 in favor of Turkish team.

Answer: Yugoslavia

Our 12 Giants lost to Yugoslavia 78-69, but it was a close game up to the last minute. Turkey beat Spain in round robin games and nipped Germany in semi-finals. Turkey never played with France in this tournament.

Answer: Ibrahim Kutluay

Kutluay, who was playing for Panathianikos (Greek club side from Athens), averaged 21.7 points in 6 games. The leading scorer of Eurobasket 2001 was Dirk Nowitzki of Germany and the Dallas Mavericks with 28.7 ppg. in 7 games. Turkcan was the leading offensive rebounder while Okur had the highest field goal percentage for Turkey. Turkoglu was the second best 3-point shooter of 12 Giant Men after Kutluay.

Answer: Erman Kunter

With his 3626 points in 213 games, Erman Kunter is one of the legends of Turkish basketball. After his retirement in 1990, he started coaching. He was the coach of Turkish team in Eurobasket '99. Efe Aydan scored 3299 points. Hakyemez and Kutluay are great scorers but they are far behind these two.

Answer: 153 points in an official league game.

Unbelievable but true. In the 1988 Turkish League season he scored 153 points against Hilalspor when playing for Fenerbahce. His 81 points in the first half also set another record. It must be rememebered that Hilalspor was playing with its junior team, i.e. with players between 15 and 18 years of age, due to financial problems.

The final score was 175-101. All the other choices are made up.

Answer: Efe Aydan

Efe Aydan was an influential center. He played a record-setting 259 times for the Turkish national team and scored 3299 points. His 89 captaincy of the Turkish national team is another record. In the late 1990s and early 2000s he was coordinating the basketball program of TOFAS Bursa. Lutfi Aribogan comes second in this category with 241 matches. Tamer Oyguc shares the third place with Dr. Emir Turam with 215 matches. Dogan Hakyemez has played 170 games for Turkey.

Answer: Mirsad Turkcan

Mirsad Turkcan was the first-ever Turkey-based player to play in NBA. He was selected by Houston Rockets in 1998 NBA Draft (first round, 18th pick overall). His draft rights were traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, and the 76ers traded his draft rights to New York. New York waived him in February 2000 and he signed for Milwaukee Bucks.

After an unlucky injury he came back to Turkey to play with Efes Pilsen and then went to Racing Paris to complete the season. He gained his form again in 2001 when playing for CSKA Moscow.

The awesome power/small forward selected for All-European team in 2002 when playing for Montepaschi Siena of Italy. Ibrahim Kutluay of Panathinaikos and Huseyin Besok of Maccabi Tel Aviv are good players but they were not selected.

Hedo Turkoglu plays for Sacramento Kings of the NBA.

Answer: Hidayet "Hedo" Turkoglu

Hedo Turkoglu was the first-ever Turkish-born player to play in the NBA. He was selected by Sacramento Kings in 2000 NBA Draft (first round, 16th overall pick). Mehmet Okur is the second Turkish-born, and was selected by Detroit Pistons in 2002 NBA Draft (second round, 38th overall pick). Ibrahim Kutluay tried out in NBA camps but never played. Mithat Demirel is a Turk but he plays for German national team.

Answer: Efes Pilsen Istanbul

Turkcan, Turkoglu, Okur and Kutluay have all played for Efes Pilsen. Turkcan and Turkoglu comes from the junior team of Efes Pilsen. Kutluay was transferred from Fenerbahce. Okur was transferred from TOFAS. Ulkerspor is another powerhouse but it has no relevance.

Answer: win a European cup.

Efes won the Radivoj Korac Cup in 1996 by overcoming Stefanel Milano in a two-legg final. Efes won the first match in Istanbul 76-68 and won the cup though it lost 77-70 in Milano, thus becoming the first-ever Turkish club to win a major European cup. Efes is also the first-ever Turkish club to reach a European cup final (1993 European Cup finalist) and first-ever Turkish Club to reach Euroleague Final-Four(2000).

The only Turkish supercup was played in 1966-67 season and Efes Pilsen was then inactive.

As to the other choices, Galatasaray is the winner of the first-ever Istanbul league and late Conrad McRae was first signed by Fenerbahce in Turkey.

Answer: Aris

It was a game that would always remembered for bad referee decisions and the assaults of Greek fans at the end of the game. The other three are important Greek clubs but Aris was played Efes Pilsen in the final.

Answer: Yalcin Granit

Yalcin Granit signed with Racing Club Paris in 1955 to be the first Turkish basketball player to play abroad. Bulend Karpat, another Galatasaray player, played in Switzerland many years later. Can Bartu, a great Fenerbahce legend, was gifted both in basketball and football (soccer), and he chose to play football in Italy. Emir Turam never played for any European or NBA club.

Answer: Emir Turam

Dr. Emir Turam played for University of Evansville in his sophomore year in 1982 in NCAA play-offs. In the late 1990s and early 2000s he was now the foreign affairs coordinator for Turkish Basketball Federation as well as a writer and political scientist. The other choices never played in NCAAs.

Answer: Aydan Siyavus

Late Aydan Siyavus won the league 7 times in 1976-77-78-80-81-82 with Eczacibasi, and in 1984 withy Efes Pilsen. Aydin Ors won 5 times in 1992-93-94-96-97 with Efes Pilsen. Yilmaz won 3 times in 1991 with Fenerbahce, in 1995 and 1998 with Ulkerspor. Mehmet Baturalp won the title 4 times :in 1968 and 1970 with ITU and in 1988 and 1989 with Eczacibasi.

Answer: Efes Pilsen

Need to say more?

Answer: Glen Whisby-Fenerbahce

Glen Whisby had a 13.3 rpg average while Thompson, Jones and Lollis have 13.0, 10.7 and 10.4, respectively.