Furkan Korkmaz Returns to EuroBasket Action After Ejection
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Philadelphia 76ers veteran Furkan Korkmaz got involved in an altercation this past weekend while competing in the 2022 EuroBasket tournament for his native country, Turkey.
As the game was concluding, Korkmaz got into a heated exchange with one of his opponents on the Georgian national team. As a result, both players were ejected from the matchup.
According to Korkmaz, he was attacked on his way back from the court to the locker room by inactive members of Georgia and even security personnel. The behind-the-scenes incident led to Turkish federation vice-president Omer Onan putting out a statement threatening to withdraw Turkey from the tournament.
“At the end of the match, 30 policemen each pushed us into a fight. We got into a fight with Georgia’s official police. I am calling out to FIBA, and I have also told FIBA’s officials. Let no one deceive themselves or think that we are stupid. They will bring us all the camera footage from that corridor minute by minute without anything missing. If those cameras do not come to us, we will leave this tournament.”
It’s unclear if Turkey received the unedited footage of the incident as requested, but the team remained active in the tournament a few days later as Korkmaz took the floor once again to face Belgium.
Tuesday’s matchup against Belgium was a successful outing for Korkmaz. According to Lauren Rosen of Sixers.com, Korkmaz had a stellar game as he produced 16 points, draining 50 percent of his shots from the field while also collecting five rebounds.
This summer’s run at EuroBasket has been critical for Korkmaz, who is looking to bounce back for the Sixers this upcoming season.
After re-signing in Philly on a three-year deal, Korkmaz failed to exceed expectations as one of the team’s key reserves going into the season.
In 67 games, Korkmaz averaged seven points per game while hitting on a career-low of 28 percent from beyond the arc. Following the 2022 playoff run, Korkmaz admitted that his struggles could be attributed to losing confidence throughout the season.
The Sixers hope Korkmaz can regain his confidence overseas this summer. It seems the Turkish veteran is being tested in many ways, and he’s proven that he’s able to overcome adversity with his national team. Now, the hope in Philly is that Korkmaz can mirror his EuroBasket ways with the 76ers for his sixth NBA season.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
