Efe Aydan

Efe Aydan — Biography

Efe Aydan is regarded as a pioneer of Turkish basketball and is considered by many to be the best player the country has produced. He holds the title of the national team's most-capped player and most frequent captain, and in September 2024 he announced his candidacy for the presidency of the Turkish Basketball Federation.

He began playing at 16 in Galatasaray's youth ranks. In 1973 he moved to Karşıyaka and in 1975 to Eczacıbaşı, where he stayed seven seasons and won league titles. He then played for Fenerbahçe (1982-86), Beşiktaş, Paşabahçe and Tofaş, and ended his career at Tofaş in 1992. In all he won the Turkish league six times at club level. Because the standard of Turkish club basketball was low in his day, he was relatively unknown outside Turkey, and it is often said that he would be far better remembered had he played for a bigger European club.

With the national team he was named its most valuable player at EuroBasket 1975 and 1981 and scored 2,195 points. In 1981 he led Turkey to its first international title by beating Bulgaria in the Balkan Championship final, and in the same year he became the first Turkish player to play for the European Selection, standing out in a game in Spain against Joventut Badalona. He won bronze at the 1983 Mediterranean Games and gold in 1987. He is the son of the opera singer and actress Sevda Aydan and the older brother of actor Ege Aydan.