By Bugra Uzar/ buzar@eurohoops.net
Anthony Brown is more than a familiar name to European basketball. A former member of the Los Angeles Lakers, he has been playing in Europe since 2018, already has three seasons under his belt in Turkiye, and with Besiktas GAIN Istanbul, he is hoping to lift his first continental title by winning the BKT EuroCup.
As the 33-year-old said in an interview with Eurohoops, he is completely convinced that his team can achieve this goal, and he already contributed to that by making a memorable game-winning shot on the road against Ratiopharm Ulm last week.
He admitted that he didn’t say “Kobe” when the ball left his hand; however, he knew that the ball was going in.
Q: What was the mindset getting this shot in the end against Ulm?
“I think just, in that moment, I just wanted to be aggressive and really just let it fly. As soon as it left my hand, I knew that it was going in, but my thoughts about it… I mean, it’s basketball. Either I’m gonna make it or miss it, and, you know, we live to see another day, so that’s pretty much my mindset.”
Q: How did it feel when the ball left your hands? Did you say “Kobe” inside your mind?
“I kind of had a little out-of-body experience because I turned around and I saw everybody running at me, and I was just thankful that Coach allowed me to even take that shot because that’s a big responsibility.”
Anthony Brown CALLED GAME at the buzzer for Besiktaspic.twitter.com/q1zJ9nt4vd
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 21, 2025
Q: Can you elaborate on the play that was drawn?
“The play got a little bit messed up. What was supposed to happen didn’t happen, and then when I ran, and I saw the clock, it was only 3 seconds. So I knew. Usually, at the end of the game, when you try to go to the basket, everybody’s in the paint, everybody’s waiting. So my mindset was, I’m probably taller than my defender. Let me just get a look at the basket. If I try to go to the basket, they might not call a foul at the end of the game; you know how that can go.”
Q: There’s a photo of you having a Damian Lillard kind of expression after the shot…
“I watched it a couple of times, and I think in that moment I kind of blacked out. Now that you say that, I did kind of have a Damian Lillard type of expression, and I just felt confident about that shot. That was the biggest thing. I feel like I’m one of the better players in the EuroCup, and in these clutch moments is when I like to show up. I think that’s when it shows a lot about a player.”
Q: The closing seconds are your time to shine?
“I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily my time to shine, but I would say that I also don’t have fear. I’m fearless when it comes to these moments, because it’s the same shot that I’m working on before practice, after practice. It just happens to be at the end of the game, but I do trust my work.”
Q: Why did you choose Besiktas this past summer?
“The main motivation was that, obviously, I had worked with Coach before. It was a short stint, but I had a previous relationship with him. I saw the goals that he wanted to win the EuroCup, and I felt like it was important to win something and to be an important piece. I think that the role that he was offering me here, to be on a team that went to the Turkish League Finals, but he was still striving for more. I also knew some of the players who were already on the team. I watched them a lot last year and I really liked how they played, and I thought that I could add something to them.”
Q: So, coach Dusan Alimpijevic was a factor in your decision?
“Yeah, he was definitely a factor. I think he’s a coach who’s gonna definitely get you out of your comfort zone. But when you get out of your comfort zone is where you’re gonna grow as a player. I think that we all have personal limits for ourselves, and it’s the job of our coaches to push us past these limits and to get us to where we want to go. And that’s winning the EuroCup, going to the EuroLeague, and being a better player. So I think this is just the main thing; never being satisfied and constantly pushing you to do more, because he knows you can do it.”
Q: Do you think that Besiktas can win the BKT EuroCup?
“I think our chances are good. There are a lot of great teams. It’s a very long season. There can be a lot of things that can happen – injuries, there’s just so many factors – but I think the main thing about this team is that we have like 10 players, 11 players that can step up. If somebody goes down, if somebody’s not playing well, we have another player. The system is in place so that somebody is going to step up. Like when we played in our last game [against Ulm], Conor Morgan had 15 points in the fourth quarter, for example, and he stepped up. In the next game, it can be someone else.”
Q: What’s the biggest quality of the team?
“I think the most important thing that I’ve seen in this team this year is that we have great character. I think that sometimes we’ve played a couple of games this year where things weren’t going right, but it just seems like we always know somehow in the end that we’re gonna win. I don’t know how, but this is what I feel. Especially at home, I feel like we are not going to lose, even when we’re down, and everyone on the team felt the same way.”
Q: A lot of Turkish fans were present in the game in Ulm. Do you enjoy that?
“I would just like to say that I’m extremely thankful and grateful for these fans. They’re very supportive, and we give 110% on every possession for them.”
Q: Do you feel that Turkiye is now your second home?
“I like Turkiye. I haven’t had any complaints; I think it has the best domestic league. I know some people say Spain, or Turkiye, you can take your pick, but I really like Turkiye as a country.”
Q: Can you pick the best five of your current or former teammates?
“I would say… at point guard, I would go with Jrue Holliday. Shooting guard, obviously Kobe; small forward Jimmy Butler; power forward Anthony Davis; and center…”
Q: Maybe you could put yourself into the small forward position…
“We can put Jimmy Butler at the power forward, me at the small forward, and Anthony Davis at center. We’ll go small ball.”