Pablo Laso provided an in-depth perspective during an extensive interview with Eurohoops, sharing crucial insights into building Anadolu Efes according to his vision for the upcoming EuroLeague campaign.
Team before individual: “I don’t need heroes, except for the last shot”
Throughout the previous campaign, excessive responsibility frequently fell upon forward Ercan Osmani. Laso emphasized that his tactical setup for the upcoming season rejects such disproportionate burdens on individual players.
“Many times last year we had the feeling that Osmani had to do everything himself. Ercan is a great player, but he cannot be our hero.”
Expanding on his core philosophy, the Spanish coach elaborated on what leadership and execution mean within a championship system.
“I do not want heroes. I want heroes on the last shot. If I have to win the game in the last second, that will be a hero shot, and I hope we hit it. But we do not need heroes; we need to be a team.”
💙🤍 Başantrenörümüz Pablo Laso’dan yeni sezonla ilgili ilk mesaj!#BenimYerimBurası pic.twitter.com/dQEEW4YCY7
— Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) August 24, 2026
Mike James as the new leader
The circumstances that brought EuroLeague superstar Mike James to Efes are directly linked to one of the most significant roster movements in recent European basketball history – the departure of Shane Larkin.
“If we go back three months, losing Shane Larkin is very significant for us. Shane is a great player; I would be very stupid not to say that. But we needed someone who would be our primary focus, and I think Mike is that man.”
Laso acknowledged how opposing scouting reports and media analysts will evaluate his revamped squad moving forward.
“So Anadolu Efes will certainly be recognized as Mike James’ team. Yes, absolutely. As a coach, I know all teams will try to stop Mike James. That will not be easy because often only Mike James can stop Mike James.”
Coaching adjustments: The example of Saras in Fenerbahce
Addressing how modern head coaches adjust their systems around specific roster profiles, Laso reflected on tactical adaptability among top European minds.
“I think most successful coaches want the same things from their teams. Many of them work on spacing and offensive situations that are similar. Defensively, there are different strategies.”
To illustrate his point, Laso referenced his cross-city coaching rival at Fenerbahce, Sarunas Jasikevicius.
“I will give the example of a coach I respect immensely who works in Turkey, Saras. I played against Saras when he was at Barcelona. Does he play the same at Fenerbahce as he did at Barcelona? No. That speaks very highly of him; it is a completely different team. At Barcelona, he featured Nikola Mirotic heavily. Here he has Talen Horton-Tucker, he has Wade Baldwin, so he is oriented differently. Even on defense, there he managed not to rotate as quickly; here he has tall guards, so he switches often. I think Zeljko Obradovic with Panathinaikos, Ettore Messina with Milano, everyone looks at their team and tries to find the best solutions for them.”
After winning the title, Sarunas Jasikevicius finally looked like a man who could use some vacation 😅🏆#Fenerbahçe #FenerbahçeBeko pic.twitter.com/FSOiv6mwfi
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) June 19, 2026
Life after Shane Larkin
Following nearly eight seasons as the franchise icon and a two-time EuroLeague champion, Shane Larkin’s transition to Fenerbahce marks the end of a historic era for Anadolu Efes.
“My respect for Shane is huge. I faced Shane many times in EuroLeague finals and in general. For Efes, Shane will always be a man to tip our hats to. He did great things for us; he is a EuroLeague champion.”
While facing their former captain in upcoming derbies will present an unusual backdrop, Laso stressed the necessity of focusing on the present project.
“Now a new journey begins in a team that is a great rival to us, Fenerbahce. We will wish him the best of luck, but our stance will not change. Shane was the leader of Efes for years, but life goes on. Shane certainly would not play here for the next 10 years, so Shane leaving was in a way normal.”
2018'de aramıza katıldığında, bu yolculuğun bizi nereye götüreceğini bilmiyorduk. Ama daha ilk günden, buraya sadece basketbol oynamaya gelmediğin, hayatlarımızda çok daha fazla yere sahip olacağın belliydi.
— Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) June 30, 2026
Birlikte hayal kurduk ve sonra bu hayaller gerçeğe dönüştü. İki… pic.twitter.com/jQv6CT6pnp
The Spanish manager likened the transition to other difficult roster decisions required to keep the program competitive.
“For me, it was a very difficult day when I had to call Rodrigue Beaubois and tell him we had to rejuvenate and rebuild the team. Roddy understood that. The same is the case with Shane. Shane leaves, end of story.”
Moving forward without proven veteran leadership presents a challenge, yet Laso remains firm on the collective goal for the upcoming EuroLeague season.
“We will certainly miss his leadership, but when we assembled the team, we tried to bring in leaders at his position. With all due respect, Shane Larkin is no longer at Efes. Right now we must look ahead and try to build a team without Shane. We have to think about being the best possible Efes this year without Shane Larkin.”
