Ataman and the end of an era: the Efes cataclysm

The image of Ergin Ataman heading towards the changing room tunnel with more than half a minute to go in the game against Fenerbahçe is not only the perfect representation of the end of an era, also a very precise definition of the particular personality of a coach who leaves no one indifferent. The one with the always direct, sometimes humorous and almost always interesting statements that caused rivers of ink and gave journalists many headlines. The leader on the bench of a historically good team, full of generational talents, who always managed to beat the greatest with the fear that he imprinted on his rivals, first at a press conference and then on the track. Ataman said goodbye true to his style; somehow he had to get attention. And he left through the back door, but he has always been the owner of the front door. A peculiar type. A legendary template. An Efes that is no longer there.

This is how the story ended: Efes was eliminated from the Euroleague with still one day to go thanks to the work and grace of Dimitris Itoudis’ Fenerbahçe, who requested a review with the match already resolved and thus provoked the anger of Ataman and his subsequent exit from the track, with a prior greeting. In the Turkish duel, both needed to win and the balance tipped in favor of the locals. And Efes was left with a record of 16-17 and out of the fight for the quarterfinal playoff, something truly devastating if we take into account that they are the current double champions of the tournament. One of the most difficult in the world, in which there is a spectacular level and which has consecutively crowned Efes in 2021 and 2022. Since Olympiacos nobody repeated the title (2012 and 2013). In the 21st century, only the Maccabi is also on this list.. To see a treble you have to go to Split, which won the last three editions of the old European Cup (from 1988 to 1991). In those was the Efes, in search of the triplet. Nothing is further from reality.

Efes has had a huge problem with defense throughout the season, countless injuries, crossed statements and many rumors about the future that have clouded an entity that started the top continental competition 2-6 and then has been in tow all the time . The victory against Real Madrid on March 16 left them alive (14-14) and with options to come back and emerge, but then came the defeats against Partizán and Alba Berlín that made everything too complicated.. They beat Milan and Virtus in Turkey, but the accounts didn’t add up. The only thing left to know was whether or not they would hold out with options until the final day. Fenerbahçe cleared our doubts. Again: goodbye to Efes.

In the summer, after the success in the last Euroleague, the millionaire Tuncay Ozilhan (controls the Anadolu Group, which includes the Anadolu Efes brewery, and also McDonald’s in Turkey) increased the economic contribution when it was thought that there was going to be a setback in this regard. Will Clyburn was removed from Moscow (Russian teams do not play in the Euroleague due to the conflict with Ukraine), Ante Zizic was signed and Shane Larkin and Vasilije Micic were renewed, who will be remembered as one of the best foreign couples in history of the Euroleague. Thus a dream team was formed who, however, has not been able to overcome Larkin’s injuries (who has only played 16 games), nor the bad start, in addition to receiving an insignificant amount of points and dealing with certain internal conflicts. One of the best templates ever runs out of prize.

a historic dynasty

Ataman, who has not yet renewed with the club and did not want to talk about the future in the press conference after the game, assured that he would keep the last four years. And is not for less: In that time, Efes has played in the 2019 Final Four, dominated with an iron fist in 2020 when the coronavirus prevented the first titleand he won the last two, both in tight finals and against two colossi that couldn’t beat him: Barcelona in 2021 (86-81) and Real Madrid (58-57) in 2022. And he has seen them all: in the first title beat a very brave Madrid, who made it 2-2 after starting 2-0 and had match ball in Türkiye to send the favorite home in the quarterfinals; the Ephs prevailed. Last year they qualified as sixth after a bad regular phase, but Milan couldn’t beat them in the quarterfinals. And again, prevailed.

This is how Efes has made history, rising to the occasion at the right moments, arriving at everything on time, overcoming adversities, having good and bad regular seasons and oblivious to everything that could happen in the rest of the teams. They were above good and evil, or so it seemed led by an Ataman who made a recognizable and attractive game, based on the talent of its two leaders (Micic and Larkin) and demonstrating their feeling of superiority in press conferences and cross statements. He was the best. That’s how he felt. He has been like that. Until, of course, he has ceased to be.

In this time, Efes has also won two Turkish Super Leagues, one Turkish Cup, three Turkish President’s Cups and a EuroLeague MVP named after a Micic who was also the most valued player in the two finals.. It remains to be seen if the Serbian, who threatens to head to the NBA every summer, decides to take the plunge at the age of 29 once the Turkish team’s project has come to an end. We also have to see what he happens with Larkin, renewed in extremis last year. And the economic sustainability of a team with very high salaries once the dream of the treble has vanished. Perhaps Tuncay Ozilhan thinks that it is time to move in another direction. And that can also include Ataman.

Thus ended a season in Europe for Efes that never began, nor when it seemed that they were going to repeat what happened last year with a fabulous comeback to be the ogre that nobody wants in rooms that they are not going to play. A horrible, disastrous ending for a team that has just won two Euroleagues. A miserable and historic disaster that is preceded by four wonderful and also historic years, albeit from the other side. Public opinion, that place where the battles that decide the wars are won and lost, will be the one that judges this Efes. The one that gives him his place in the history books. But there is no doubt that they occupy, due to sports justice, a totally privileged place. They have earned it. It’s been quite an era. No matter how bad it ended.