Six-year NBA veteran Talen Horton-Tucker praised Sarunas Jasikevicius as an exceptionally prepared coach who could succeed in the NBA, while also saying Tarik Biberovic is already good enough to play in the league.
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul have secured their place in a third straight EuroLeague Final Four after defeating Zalgiris Kaunas 3-1 in their best-of-five playoff series.
For head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius, the achievement extends an already remarkable run.
He has now reached the EuroLeague Final Four for six consecutive seasons and won the title last year for the first time as a head coach.
Whenever success follows at this level, talk of a potential NBA move is never far away.
Fenerbahce star guard Talen Horton-Tucker, a 2020 NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, hinted that Jasikevicius could one day make that step.
"Definitely. He has a lot of answers to the test," Horton-Tucker told BasketNews after Game 4 win. "Just having a coach that is super prepared like how he is, you know, being a player at the professional level, you wouldn't want anything else."
Jasikevicius has been rumored to attract interest from the Memphis Grizzlies and, most recently, during the summer of 2023, when the Toronto Raptors let go of Nick Nurse.
If he were ever to make the jump, he would join a small group of European-born coaches who have led NBA teams from the bench, alongside names like Igor Kokoskov, Darko Rajakovic, Tuomas Iisalo, and Jordi Fernandez.
Credit Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS
But Jasikevicius is not the only Fener member who could potentially enter the NBA door one day.
25-year-old forward Tarik Biberovic is also linked with the Memphis Grizzlies, who drafted him 56th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft and still hold his rights.
"Tarik is definitely ready to play in the NBA," Horton-Tucker added. "I don't think the fans of Fener would be too happy about me saying that, but yeah, he definitely could fit in the NBA.
"He's an NBA player, he's a hell of a EuroLeague player, so overall, he's just a great player at any level."
Last July, Biberovic signed a new three-year deal with Fenerbahce despite strong interest from Memphis.
Credit D. Lukšta
He reportedly turned down an NBA move to chase another EuroLeague Final Four run.
According to BasketNews sources, his new deal includes an NBA exit clause.
Still, any potential NBA discussions should wait until after the EuroLeague Final Four in Athens on May 22-24, where Horton-Tucker, Biberovic, and coach Jasikevicius will aim to help Fenerbahce secure back-to-back titles.
In the modern EuroLeague era, only three teams have successfully defended their crown: Maccabi in 2004 and 2005, Olympiacos in 2012 and 2013, and Anadolu Efes in 2021 and 2022.
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Pijus Sapetka
Pijus Sapetka began his basketball media career in 2021, building on years of closely following the sport. Since then, he has reported from a variety of basketball events, including the EuroLeague Playoffs, Lithuanian Cups, LKL Finals, EuroCup games, the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, and Goran Dragic's Farewell Game. He holds a degree in Journalism & PR.
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