Shane Larkin explained why he decided to leave Anadolu Efes after years with the club, revealing that constant changes and instability made his role as a leader increasingly difficult. The EuroLeague star also opened up about his ambitions, his move to Fenerbahce and his desire to compete for trophies again.
After spending several successful seasons with Anadolu Efes, Shane Larkin entered a new chapter of his career by joining Fenerbahce. The experienced guard became one of the biggest names involved in the latest EuroLeague transactions during the offseason, but his decision was not based on financial reasons.
Fenerbahce have been absolutely on fire with their transfer announcements over the last 10 days: give their admin a break! 😂 ✅
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) July 14, 2026
Today, they officially welcomed back Sertac Sanli and announced the signing of Ignas Sargiunas. 💥✍️
Before them came Trent Forrest, Shavon Shields,… pic.twitter.com/6H2qtwMaD2
Shane Larkin explains frustration with constant Anadolu Efes changes
Two years ago, Shane Larkin became a free agent. Vasilije Micic left Anadolu Efes for the NBA, while Ergin Ataman moved to Panathinaikos, but Larkin decided to stay in Istanbul and help the club build a new era.
The club appointed Erdem Can as head coach, and Larkin believed in the project.
“Two years ago, I became a free agent. Vasilije Micic left for the NBA, and Ergin Ataman moved to Panathinaikos. I stayed at Anadolu Efes because I wanted to help build the club’s new chapter. That summer, the club hired Erdem Can as head coach. He was an extremely promising coach. He had spent years working with Zeljko Obradovic, and then led Turk Telekom to the EuroCup final. He had a great basketball mind and enormous potential. The club asked me to be the leader of that project and help Efes enter a new era.”
Larkin accepted the responsibility of being the leader of the new Anadolu Efes project, but the season quickly became complicated due to injuries.
“I accepted that role. I had many conversations with Erdem and had a lot of respect for him. From the first day of training camp, I worked as hard as possible and did everything he asked of me. I truly believed we were building something long-term.”
“You cannot expect a coach who is leading a EuroLeague team for the first time to immediately be successful. However, when the season started, we were hit by an incredible wave of injuries. Will Clyburn, Elijah Bryant, Derek Willis, Tyrique Jones, Erkan Yilmaz… all got injured. Suddenly, we didn’t have a team capable of competing at the same level. Despite that, the club decided to part ways with him after only two and a half months.”
Larkin believed Mijatovic could build something at Anadolu Efes
After Erdem Can’s departure, Tomislav Mijatovic took over Anadolu Efes, and Larkin developed a strong relationship with the coach. The two finished the season strongly, reaching the EuroLeague Play-In, while Larkin had one of the best individual campaigns of his career.
“Mijatovic and I know each other very well. We finished the season strongly and qualified for the EuroLeague Play-In. That year, I was the player with the most minutes in the EuroLeague, I finished first in PIR, and I was among the top five scorers and assist providers.”
Despite interest from several EuroLeague giants, Larkin decided to remain loyal to Anadolu Efes.
“I had a great season, and many clubs wanted me that summer. I could have gone to Fenerbahce, Barcelona or Panathinaikos. I could have chosen wherever I wanted, but I didn’t leave because I am loyal. I wanted to stay at Efes, give my maximum and help bring the club back to the Final Four and championships.”
Larkin believed the continuity with Mijatovic could finally provide Anadolu Efes with the stability needed to return to the top.
“They signed Mijatovic to a new two-year contract, and I thought we could finally build something. He believed in me, I believed in him. But only three months later, he was also replaced. Every year, it was the same story.”
Larkin: “I don’t even know who I’m playing for anymore”
Following Mijatovic, Anadolu Efes appointed Luca Banchi as head coach, and once again Larkin was asked to believe in a new project.
“I think he is an excellent coach, especially because of everything he achieved with the Latvian national team. Once again, they asked me to believe in a new project. We talked about where we were going and what we could build together.”
The season ended with Anadolu Efes losing to Panathinaikos in Game 5 of the EuroLeague playoffs before being eliminated by Besiktas in the domestic competition.
“We had a good team and a good coach. At least one of those things should have remained. However, everything changed. The coach and the players left. Once again, we are starting from zero.”
After Banchi, Igor Kokoskov arrived in Istanbul, bringing extensive NBA experience and a strong offensive background.
“He is an offensive genius. He has spent years working in the NBA and has tremendous knowledge of the game. I also played against him when he was coaching Fenerbahce. During the summer, we talked about how we wanted to play.”
However, Larkin admitted that constant changes made his leadership role much more difficult.
“I’m not saying that winning with Efes was no longer possible. What I want to say is that the club keeps changing everything, and in the end, I am the leader of the team who carries the responsibility. I hear people saying that Shane is not the same anymore, that he can’t carry a team… I don’t care about those stories. But at least give me a chance.”
“Pablo Laso, Luca Banchi, Igor Kokoskov, Tomislav Mijatovic, Erdem Can… I am always asked to be the head of the snake, the coach’s extension on the court. But I don’t even know who I’m playing for anymore. Every five or six months, I am playing for someone different. That makes everything much harder.”
Why Shane Larkin chose Fenerbahce over other EuroLeague options
Larkin eventually decided to leave Anadolu Efes and join Fenerbahce, with stability and the opportunity to compete for trophies playing the biggest role in his decision.
“Fenerbahce is one of the most stable clubs you can find today. That was the main reason I came here. The club has one of the biggest fan bases in the world, and I am happy to finally be part of it. I have never experienced that kind of support anywhere else in Europe.”
“Baskonia and Anadolu Efes both have great fans and I will always be grateful to them, but Fenerbahce is something different. Of course, that also influenced my decision, but the most important thing was stability. Who is more stable than Fenerbahce? Maybe only Olympiacos.”
