By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
After winning a historic silver medal with the Turkish national team last summer, Furkan Korkmaz waited until October 31 to sign with Tofaş Bursa, marking his return to the Basketball Champions League after nine years.
The experienced sharpshooter last appeared in the competition in 2017 with Banvit, reaching the BCL Final before falling to Tenerife. This time, Korkmaz is fighting for a place in the Round of 16, as Tofaş face a decisive Game 3 of the Play-Ins against French side Cholet.
In the first two games of the series, the former NBA player was among the standouts for the Turkish side, scoring 17 points in the Game 1 win and adding 15 points in the return leg in France, a loss for Tofaş.
Interestingly, Korkmaz had never posted three consecutive double-digit scoring games in the BCL before. During this Play-Ins series alone, he has already matched the total number of 15+ point performances from his previous 13 BCL games combined.
Since signing for Tofaş in late October, Korkmaz has played five BCL games, averaging 10.8 points, while adding 9.5 points per game in eight appearances in the Turkish BSL. His form appears to be peaking at the right moment as Tofaş look to secure a spot in the Top 16.
Now comes the moment of truth for both Korkmaz and Tofaş.
The stakes are high for the former Philadelphia 76ers swingman, whose transition back to European club basketball has not been straightforward. He averaged 6.8 points in nine games for Ergin Ataman’s Turkey at EuroBasket, while injuries limited his stint at Monaco to just three EuroLeague appearances before he moved to Bahçeşehir in December 2024.
With Bahçeşehir, Korkmaz reached the EuroCup semifinals, averaging 6.9 points in 10 games, while finding more success domestically with 12.9 points per game in the regular season and 11.7 in the playoffs, again reaching the semifinals.
This time, he has a chance to push Tofaş back into the BCL Round of 16, a stage the Bursa-based club reached multiple times between 2020 and 2024. Last season, Tofaş competed in the FIBA Europe Cup, reaching the quarterfinals.
For Korkmaz, it is do or die because this is his chance to truly reestablish himself at club level. After starting the season without a team and struggling to fully meet expectations since returning from the NBA, he now has an opportunity to prove he can be a leader and a difference-maker when it matters.
A strong performance that pushes Tofaş into the Round of 16 would be a clear statement that his European comeback is back on track.