February 10, 2012
Team Profile 2010-11: Besiktas JK Cola Turka
BesiktasA giant club in Turkish sports, Besiktas JK Cola Turka hopes to take advantage of the Eurocup Qualifying Round to return to the competition this season. Although Besiktas was founded as a multi-sport club in 1903, its basketball section came along in 1933, was stopped in 1936 and started again in 1940. Remarkably enough, Besiktas has kept its name in the Turkish first division for more than six decades - with the exception of the 1987-88 season. Besiktas, however, traveled a long road to basketball success, needing until 1975 to finally lift the Turkish League title. The 'Black Eagles' needed more 12 years to add more hardware to the trophy case, winning the 1987 Turkish Cup. Besiktas spent more years struggling, but the club placed fifth in Turkey in 1998 and made it to the next season's Korac Cup quarterfinals, losing against Oostende with Virginijus Praskevicius, Kevin Thompson and Andre Woolridge as its star players. The club had to wait until the 2003-04 season before it reached the Turkish League semifinals and then took part in the 2005 FIBA Champions Cup quarterfinals. The arrival of Khalid El-Amin and a trip to the 2005 Turkish League finals, where it lost against local power Efes Pilsen, was the sign that Besiktas was ready for further glory. Besiktas reached the ULEB Cup Final Eight in 2008 with players like Kaya Peker, Preston Shumpert and Christian Dalmau leading the way, but archrival Galatasaray Cafe Crown stood in its way to success. Despite becoming the Turkish League regular season champion that season, Besiktas once again exited in the semifinals. Besiktas has not been able to get past the Eurocup regular season in either of the past two seasons, though it has returned to the Turkish League semifinals. Now Besiktas is ready to reload and be ready to fight for what could be its sixth consecutive Eurocup season.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Euroleague.net
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