Ataman: 'Serbs see themselves at the top of world basketball, but we are there'

Turkey's men's national basketball team concluded the first qualifying round for the 2027 FIBA World Cup with an undefeated record, taking a decisive step toward the final tournament in Qatar. Following their victory against Switzerland, head coach Ergin Ataman shared his absolute confidence in his team's capabilities.

Ataman asserted that Turkey possesses a superior squad to Serbia. Despite Serbia's reputation as a top force in global basketball, he believes his team operates at a higher level. "Serbs see themselves at the top of world basketball, but no, they are not. We are at the top," Ataman stated. He recalled past victories, including a win against Serbia with Nikola Jokic in the EuroBasket and two wins in the group stage of the World Cup qualifiers, where Turkey finished ahead of Serbia.

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The Serbs see themselves at the top of world basketball, but no, they are not. We are at the top.

"We beat them with Jokic in the EuroBasket. We eliminated them with that loss. We beat them twice in the group stage and finished ahead of them with 6 wins," he added, emphasizing Turkey's recent dominance. The coach's bold claims highlight Turkey's ambition and growing confidence on the international basketball stage.

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We beat them with Jokic in the EuroBasket. We eliminated them with that loss. We beat them twice in the group stage and finished ahead of them with 6 wins.