FIBA’s EuroBasket is officially underway, with several European countries set to compete. Among them is Turkey, where Adem Bona and a familiar face bolster a strong squad. This year, Turkey is in Group A alongside Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Portugal, and Serbia. In their opener, Turkey squared off against Latvia, a team featuring NBA talent like Kristaps Porziņģis and Dāvis Bertāns.
Team Turkey features plenty of familiar names, led by Alperen Şengün, Cedi Osman, Omer Yurtseven, Shane Larkin, and our
old friend Furkan Korkmaz. Adem Bona made his EuroBasket debut on Wednesday, coming off the bench behind Şengün.
In 15 minutes of action, Adem Bona posted 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks on 2-of-3 shooting. Foul trouble limited his minutes — he picked up five — but he wasn’t alone, as several teammates battled whistles throughout the game. Even so, Bona held his own, finishing at -1 and providing steady relief behind Alperen Şengün. At one point, Turkey even rolled out a jumbo frontcourt featuring both bigs, which led to this highlight:
Şengün, meanwhile, continues to look like the present and future face of Turkish basketball. The Houston Rockets star filled the stat sheet with 17 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, a steal, and a block in just under 28 minutes.
As for another familiar face, Furkan Korkmaz added 5 points, a rebound, and an assist in 16 minutes on 2-of-5 shooting. For those who haven’t followed his career since leaving the Sixers, Korkmaz most recently suited up for Bahçeşehir Basketbol in Istanbul and is currently a free agent.
Bona’s role with Turkey is limited, but his shot-blocking and defensive presence will be needed against every opponent. Even in smaller minutes, these are valuable reps for a young player who may end up more important to the Sixers than many realize, especially with Joel Embiid’s future uncertain. Bona turned in a solid rookie season despite Philadelphia’s injury turmoil, and there’s already a case for him to be the primary backup big behind (presumably) Embiid. All experience is good experience, and playing organized basketball against international talent and coaching gives him growth opportunities he wouldn’t get in an NBA setting.
Bona and the Turkish squad dominated their matchup against Latvia, winning 93–73. Their next game comes Friday, Aug. 29, at 7:45 a.m. EST against Czechia.
