By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Kendrick Nunn’s name had recently surfaced as a potential addition to the Turkish national team for the upcoming EuroBasket. However, the Turkish Basketball Federation has decided not to pursue the former NBA guard.
President Hidayet Türkoğlu clarified that while Nunn was indeed discussed internally, the Federation ultimately chose to continue with Shane Larkin as the naturalized player, following a direct conversation with the Anadolu Efes guard.
“We did think about the possibility of Kendrick Nunn,” Türkoğlu said on the Zone Press program on HT Spor, “But after speaking with Shane Larkin and seeing his commitment and desire, we didn’t take any steps in that direction.”
While Türkoğlu acknowledged that Nunn’s name was discussed internally, he emphasized that no formal approach was ever made.
“Yes, we had conversations within the Federation about Kendrick Nunn—just as we did about other players—but that’s as far as it went. Naturally, people are bringing it up because he plays on the same club team as Coach Ergin Ataman, but from our side, there was no concrete move.”
Türkoğlu also highlighted Larkin’s long-standing relationship with Turkish basketball and the national team.
“Larkin has had some unfortunate experiences with the national team in the past, including a suspension process. But he’s been in our country for many years and has shown great sensitivity toward representing Turkey. He wants to succeed with the national team, and we’ve decided to move forward with him.”