İsmet Akpınar

İsmet Akpınar — Biography

İsmet Akpınar is a point guard born in Hamburg who has played for Germany from the junior sides up to the senior team and now continues his career in Turkey's Basketbol Süper Ligi. He stands 1.91 m tall; in June 2026 he renewed his contract with Bahçeşehir Koleji, the club he rejoined in July 2025.

His path began in Hamburg's youth set-ups. At 16 he made his first professional appearance for SC Rist Wedel in ProB, Germany's third tier, and was named the league's rookie of the year. In February 2013 he agreed a four-year deal with Alba Berlin; in 2014 he finished as Bundesliga runner-up with the senior side, took the NBBL junior title and was its MVP, and he lifted the German Cup in 2014 and 2016. He won the BBL's best young German player award in 2016-17; after moving to ratiopharm Ulm in 2017 he played in his first All-Star Game, and in 2019 he was MVP of his second.

He came to Turkey in July 2019 with Beşiktaş Sompo Japan. After the Süper Lig season was cancelled because of the pandemic he went to Bayern Munich in May 2020, and in July 2020 he signed for Bahçeşehir Koleji. In June 2021 he joined Fenerbahçe Beko, appearing in 39 Süper Lig and 19 EuroLeague games over two seasons, and later wore the colours of Galatasaray and Türk Telekom. He played for Germany's U16, U18, U20 and senior teams and was in the squad for the 2019 World Cup. His older brother Mutlu Akpınar is also a professional basketball player.