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Pretty long... but I know there are many Turkish members who'll finish this all in a single attempt. Allright, here's the best bball player ever! (in some of ours' eyes).
PEGASUS OF TURKISH BASKETBALL FOR 20 YEARS
Alp ULAGAY
Hürriyet/22.01.2006
Hürriyet/22.01.2006
Harun Erdenay, who is currently the oldest basketball player of TBL, is playing outside of Istanbul at the age of 37 for the first time in his 21-year-long TBL career, and he still maintains his outstanding scoring ability. Harun showed that he is still in the game by pouring 37 points against Buyuk Kolej and 31 against Tekel this year. Erdenay was nicknamed as Pegasus by Ismet Badem after his up-in-the-air slow motion lay-ups.
Harun Erdenay, besides his sharp shooting skills and high lay-ups, raised in the hearts of basketball fans with his personality. For years, a specific fan group came to the tribunes only to see him. He is now making his retirement plans in Mersin with his wife, Gergana, and their son, Alihan.
During the 60's and 70's, his father, Kemal Erdenay, was one of the leading players of Istanbul Technical University (ITU). Kemal Erdenay came from a prestigious family; his grandmother's sister was the wife of Sultan Abdulhamid II and his grand-uncle, Kasim Pasa, was the major of Baghdad. His three sisters were born in Baghdad, but he had lived his whole life in Istanbul until a transaction sent him to Ankara, Sekerspor.
Harun Erdenay joined to the family right in those days in Ankara on May 27, 1968. Harun's basketball days began in his mother's arms as they went to his father's games during the unbeaten seasons of ITU. He started to play with the ball as a small child but was not able to find the rim. Then, a family-friend, 2.14m-tall Huseyin Alp helped him for his first dunk.
Uncle's and Father's Encouragement
Harun Erdenay spent most of his childhood days at home trying to make baskets through the wire-rim his uncle made.
A few years later, Harun was enrolled to the basketball school of ITU in Gümüssuyu, where he learned the basketball fundamentals at the age of 7. When Harun's school days started, he switched to Efes Pilsen basketball school in Kadikoy, but he had to return to ITU after a short while with his father's insistence, as it was not easy to catch the training sessions from the European side: "I had to run most of the times after the school to catch the ferry."
He showed early signs of a star player in his junior team. In those days his Bosnian coach, Ibrahim Halic, encouraged him that he'd be one of the best players in the world. His mother, Meral Erdenay, did not even think that Harun would became so good as a basketball player, "I asked to myself if Harun would really be a basketball player, whether he was as talented as his father. I thought Harun's was just a childhood interest." Despite his talent, Harun was never selected for junior or U16 national teams due to various problems, mostly injuries.
In 1985, at the age of 17, he started to play with ITU senior team along with big names like Zeki Tosun, Necati Guler and Levent Topsakal. His father was now his team's head coach. During 1985-86 season, he could get only a few minutes of playing time. But he entered the following season very strong by pouring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against Sekerspor, and suddenly attracted the attention of basketball authorities.
Harun was unstoppable especially in fast-breaks. He was passing his man quickly and jumping very well. Recep Sen, who was one of his teammates in those days said "In 80's, mainly an offensive basketball was being played, and Harun was the best in that, no one could restrain him in the trainings."
These abilities helped Harun become the scoring leader of 1989-1990 season among the stars such as Erman Kunter, Husnu Cakirgil, and Levent Topsakal. However, his defense was being criticized even in those days, when the practices were much lighter and more infrequent.
Despite his talent, Harun has never been as ambitious as people asked from him. His father tried several times to arouse a passion in him. His uncle Omer Yucesoy said, "When he came to Ankara, we used to play with the youngsters in the street, but Harun never tried to win, he used to play for fun while I was going crazy. I even thought he was deliberately trying to lose the games."
Harun continued his education while playing basketball. "We were not like today's young players. We used to attend all the classes in high school. I remember one day my father did not let me play because of my bad grades." In 1986, Harun began his university education at the Mathematics Dept. of Bogazici University. After the English preparatory school, he changed his department to Computer Programming, but his demanding sports career did not let him to complete this degree.
His success opened the road to the national team. In 1992, during the elimination round for the European basketball championship, he scored 67 points in three games, and Turkey managed to join European Championships for the first time after 12 years.
In 1990, he was transferred to Pasabahce. This was the first time he was playing for a title-contender. He won the Turkish Cup with Pasabahce; however, at the end of that year Pasabahce cut down the budget, and Harun turned back to ITU. He took them to the playoffs and became the scoring leader of the league one more time.
He did not accept the NBA Offer
During the 1993 Eurobasket in Germany, Harun attracted the attention of both Spanish club Barcelona and the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland team representatives invited him to the try-outs for the following summer but Harun rejected the offer, "it was very difficult in those days to play in NBA for an European player. Even the best ones were rotting in the bench. I did not accept the invitation since they told me I would probably sit on bench till I proved myself even if I was signed."
Fenerbahce added Harun to their strong roster that year, but they could not win the championship despite dominating the regular season. Most remarkable day for Harun in that year was the game in Korac Cup against the Greek team Panionios, in which he scored 44 points.
During the early nineties Harun's reputation reached its peak; everyone he met in the street was asking for his autograph or a picture. Some girls were even calling him at nights to meet him, but he usually used to spend his evenings with his little sister, Deniz. He was also more interested in sports cars and dogs.
At the end of 1993 season, Ulker signed him by offering a double salary, and they won the league title that year with great shooters like Serdar Apaydin, Orhun Ene, and Haluk Yildirim by defeating Fenerbahce in the finals. This was Harun's first championship in TBL.
During his career in Ulker, Harun reached two more TBL titles in 1998 and 2001. He also lifted one Turkish Cup and three Presidential Cups. Even though Erdenay had no difficulty in scoring, the desired success at the European cups was not to come.
Play of the Day
He scored his possibly the most valuable basket on October 9, 1997, against Barcelona. "We were down by two points in the last 5 seconds, and our coach Çetin Yılmaz told me to take the ball and go for the basket. I had to throw the ball just as passing the middle court line." His shot from 9 meters found its way to rim, and Ülker won the game, 67-66. This play was later shown in CNN international's "play of the day."
During these days, he found the love of his life. A fellow player, Kemal Tunceri, introduced a Bulgarian basketball player, Gergana Baranzova, to him, and their relationship started. They began living together, and in 2003 the couple got married.
His career reached one of its peaks in 2001 European Championships, where Turkey managed to make its best record in tournament history and get the silver medal. He had to play point guard in the last three games since the team's point-guard Orhun Ene was injured. "We had the chance to win against Yugoslavia in the final, but they were really strong and referees favored them in the crucial minutes."
Another Scoring Title at the Age of 37
Following the 2002 World Championship, Harun announced his retirement from the national team and one year later he also withdrew from the top stage by leaving Ulker. "I did not want to play 2 games a week any more, so I signed with my modest home team." He saved ITU from relegation that year. His former teammate Recep Sen was his coach in ITU now, where he claimed the scoring title once more by averaging of 21.4 points per game at the age of 37.
Last summer, while he was thinking of retirement from active basketball, newcomers of the league, Mersin BSB, offered a contract for both him and his wife. He decided to play one more year with his wife in Mersin. He scored +30 points two times already. His young coach Rebah Sidali said they wanted him to play one more year, but Harun is considering the retirement before reaching his 38th birthday. He is currently living in Mersin with his wife and 2 year-old son, Alihan. "I am not going to leave basketball, but do not want to become a coach at the moment, either. We will see in the future."
His Successes
1995, 1998 and 2001 TBL championship
1995, 2001 and 2002 President's Cup
1992 and 2003 Turkish Cup
1990, 1993 and 2005 TBL scoring leader
2001 Eurobasket silver medal
1995, 2001 and 2002 President's Cup
1992 and 2003 Turkish Cup
1990, 1993 and 2005 TBL scoring leader
2001 Eurobasket silver medal
Maybe my prays will be accepted
Just joking, we will be pleased to see all of the pictures of our 12 Giant Men and other teams pictures
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