By Bilal Baran Yardımcı / info@eurohoops.net
Anadolu Efes superstar Shane Larkin explained some of the reasons why he didn’t follow in on the footsteps of his father, Baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, and instead decided to try and make his own mark on a different sport.
“It makes me feel great,” Larkin told Eurohoops. “I could’ve taken the easier route and play the same sport as him and probably get a bunch of handouts. ‘His dad is this guy so let’s give him more opportunities, let’s have him on the team’ – even if I wasn’t a great player. Who knows, if I played that sport, I could’ve been great or not. The route would’ve been easier because of all the relationships and the things that my dad had implemented along his own path.”
“But I never really wanted to do that,” Larkin added. “I wanted to make my own name. I didn’t want to take the easy path. I wanted to make things difficult. I wanted to work for it. I wanted to earn it. I didn’t want it to be handed to me. Sitting here today, I guess I can say that nothing that I’ve accomplished in this sport has been given to me. That’s a part of the reason why I wear this number. That’s a part of the reason why I still work hard every single day and that’s a part of the reason why I have the motivation and determination to continue to push myself to be the best I can be. I think that motivation is the sole thing that has pushed me to where I am. Obviously I cant’ discredit anybody or any people that have helped me along the way. Teammates, coaching staff, family, everybody is a huge part of that success. I think I’m more proud to be sitting here playing this sport in the way that I’ve had to earn everything as opposed to the way I could’ve gone if I played something else.”
Larkin also talked about his presence with the Turkish national team during the silver medal run in the 2025 EuroBasket, his future with the “12 Giant Men”, the upcoming season with Efes and more.