39. Men's Basketball President's Cup

The 39th Turkish President's Cup for Men's Basketball is the 39th edition of the traditional cup competition organized annually by the Turkish Basketball Federation before the start of each new season. The match will be contested between Fenerbahçe Tarfin Men's Basketball Team and Beşiktaş Men's Basketball Team, determined based on their championship and finalist positions in the Turkish Basketball Super League and the Turkish Cup. The game will take place on Tuesday 22 September 2026 at the Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul, starting at 20:00 and broadcast live on TRT 1. The refereeing team for the match will consist of Özlem Yalman, Alper Altuğ Köselerli and Kaan Büyükçil.

The Men's President's Cup holds the distinction of being the first official cup of the Turkish basketball season and was first held in the 1984-1985 season. Anadolu Efes holds the record for the most titles in the tournament's history with 14 cup victories. The navy and white club won its first nine titles under the name Efes Pilsen and its last five under the name Anadolu Efes. Ülkerspor is the only team to have won the cup five times consecutively, achieving a total of six titles in 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. Galatasaray, Pınar Karşıyaka and Türk Telekom each won the cup twice, while Eczacıbaşı, Çukurova and TOFAŞ each won it once. The competition was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in 2023 due to the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş.

^{39. Men's Basketball Presidential Cup infographic (AA)}

Fenerbahçe Tarfin has won the President's Cup eight times in its history. The yellow and navy team claimed its first title in 1990 by defeating Galatasaray 95-86. Fenerbahçe Tarfin also won the cup in 1991, 1994, 2007, 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2025, and has finished as runner-up 11 times overall in the tournament's history. Beşiktaş has won the President's Cup once in its history. The black and white team secured its sole title on 30 September 2012 by defeating Anadolu Efes 77-75. Beşiktaş has lost in the final twice: in 1987 against Karşıyaka and in 2025 against Fenerbahçe. This will be the second time Fenerbahçe Tarfin and Beşiktaş face each other in the President's Cup final. In their first final meeting on 24 September 2025 at the Sinan Erdem Dome, Fenerbahçe Tarfin defeated Beşiktaş 85-83 to claim the trophy.

Prior to the President's Cup match, both teams completed their roster rebuilds and continued their preparation programs. Fenerbahçe Tarfin Men's Basketball Team is coached by Šarūnas Jasikevičius, with Melih Mahmutoğlu serving as team captain. The yellow and navy team participated in the EuroLeague Super Cup tournament held in Abu Dhabi on 18-19 September 2026. After losing 92-90 to Olympiacos in the semifinals, Fenerbahçe Tarfin finished third in the tournament by defeating Dubai Basketball 85-77 in the third-place game.

Beşiktaş Men's Basketball Team is coached by Dušan Alimpijević, with Canadian player Conor Morgan serving as team captain. During the summer transfer period, Beşiktaş added David Dejulius, Jaylen Nowell, Scottie Wilbekin, Daquan Jeffries, Metecan Birsen, Furkan Korkmaz, Wenyen Gabriel and Eugene Omuruyi to its roster. In the match squad, the guards are Yağız Aksu, Berk Uğurlu, Devon Dotson, David Dejulius, Jaylen Nowell, Scottie Wilbekin and Daquan Jeffries. The forwards are Conor Morgan, Anthony Brown, Metecan Birsen, Furkan Korkmaz and Burak Çeçen, while the centers are Ante Žižić, Wenyen Gabriel and Eugene Omuruyi. With Beşiktaş's participation in the EuroLeague this season, Türkiye now has three teams representing the highest level of European basketball.

An official press conference was held prior to the match at the Sinan Erdem Dome. Attending were Fenerbahçe Tarfin head coach Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Fenerbahçe team captain Melih Mahmutoğlu, Beşiktaş head coach Dušan Alimpijević and Beşiktaş team captain Conor Morgan.

^{39. Men's Basketball Presidential Cup press conference (AA)}

At the press conference, the coaching staff and players emphasized the importance of beginning the season with a cup competition. Fenerbahçe Tarfin head coach Šarūnas Jasikevičius noted that the team had undergone approximately three weeks of preparation, focused on integrating new players, and stressed that controlling emotions and minimizing errors in the final would be decisive. Fenerbahçe captain Melih Mahmutoğlu highlighted the value of starting the season with a cup and pointed out that the derby atmosphere adds unique excitement to the contest. Beşiktaş head coach Dušan Alimpijević emphasized the importance of instilling character on the court during a preparation period that was not fully completed, and expressed pride in competing in the EuroLeague. Beşiktaş captain Conor Morgan stated that he and the new additions to the team aim to deliver their best possible performance and that this match marks his first official game as captain. The match kickoff time is awaited.

The 39th Men's Presidential Cup is a single-game championship match contested between Fenerbahçe Tarfin, champions of the 2025–2026 Basketbol Süper Ligi and Türkiye Kupası, and Beşiktaş. The game was held on Tuesday, 22 September 2026 at 20:00 at the Sinan Erdem Sport Hall in Istanbul. Fenerbahçe Tarfin won the match with a score of 72–59, securing their ninth title in the competition.

The game at the Sinan Erdem Sport Hall was officiated by head referee Özlem Yalman, with assistant referees Alper Altuğ Köselerli and Kaan Büyükçil. Fenerbahçe Tarfin started with Shavon Shields, Braxton Key, Trent Forrest, Talen Horton-Tucker and Sertaç Şanlı as their starting five. Beşiktaş opened with Devon Dotson, Scottie Wilbekin, Daquan Jeffries, Eugene Omoruyi and Ante Zizic.

^{Fenerbahçe vs Beşiktaş match (AA)}

Among Fenerbahçe Tarfin’s players, Shavon Shields scored 10 points, Will Clyburn added 8 points, and Wade Baldwin and Braxton Key contributed crucial baskets in key moments. Nicolo Melli, Sertaç Şanlı, Trent Forrest, Talen Horton-Tucker and Melih Mahmutoğlu also contributed to the scoring. Yiğit Yancı and Demircan Demir also saw playing time. For Beşiktaş, Jaylen Nowell scored 13 points, Devon Dotson 9 points, Scottie Wilbekin 8 points, Eugene Omoruyi 7 points, Metecan Birsen 6 points, Ante Zizic 5 points, Berk Uğurlu 4 points, Daquan Jeffries 4 points and Anthony Brown 3 points. Furkan Korkmaz and Gabriel wore uniforms for Beşiktaş. Beşiktaş player Furkan Korkmaz was disqualified in the fourth quarter (33:27) after committing five fouls.

Beşiktaş failed to capitalize on their first offensive possession, with the first points of the game scored by Trent Forrest for Fenerbahçe Tarfin. Beşiktaş, led by Scottie Wilbekin and Devon Dotson, narrowed the gap to 2–5, before Braxton Key’s basket reduced the deficit to one point. The first five minutes ended in an 8–8 tie. Fenerbahçe Tarfin then exploited Beşiktaş’s offensive stagnation, mounting an 11–0 run fueled by Nicolo Melli’s three-pointers and scoring contributions from Wade Baldwin and Sertaç Şanlı, taking a 19–8 lead with 56 seconds remaining in the quarter. The first quarter ended 21–10 in favor of Fenerbahçe Tarfin.

^{Fenerbahçe vs Beşiktaş match (AA)}

Fenerbahçe Tarfin began the second quarter with baskets from Melih Mahmutoğlu and Shavon Shields, extending the lead to 27–14. After Anthony Brown’s basket for Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe responded with a basket from Wade Baldwin, increasing the gap to 15 points (34–19) and forcing a Beşiktaş timeout. Upon returning from the break, Beşiktaş countered with a three-pointer from Eugene Omoruyi, but Fenerbahçe Tarfin answered with baskets from Talen Horton-Tucker and Wade Baldwin to push the score to 39–23. With a layup by Braxton Key, Fenerbahçe extended the lead to 19 points with 53 seconds left in the quarter and entered halftime leading 46–27. The second quarter ended 25–17 in favor of Fenerbahçe Tarfin.

Beşiktaş opened the third quarter with a quick 5–0 run, including a layup by Ante Zizic, pulling the score to 46–32. Fenerbahçe Tarfin responded with points from Braxton Key and Nicolo Melli, restoring the lead to 19 points at 51–32. In the remainder of the quarter, Beşiktaş regained momentum through Berk Uğurlu, Jaylen Nowell and Eugene Omoruyi, who scored inside the paint to reduce the deficit. The third quarter ended 58–46 in favor of Fenerbahçe Tarfin, with a quarter score of 12–19 in Beşiktaş’s favor.

^{Fenerbahçe vs Beşiktaş match (AA)}

The fourth quarter opened with mutual baskets from Will Clyburn and Metecan Birsen. Beşiktaş increased their tempo and, at the 32-minute mark, cut the deficit to eight points (60–52) after Metecan Birsen converted a free throw. Fenerbahçe Tarfin responded with a 6–0 run, fueled by free throws from Wade Baldwin in the 34th minute, extending the lead to 66–52. Entering the final three minutes with a 66–54 advantage, Fenerbahçe Tarfin held on despite both teams struggling to score in the final five minutes, ultimately winning the match 72–59. The fourth quarter ended 14–13 in favor of Fenerbahçe Tarfin.

With this victory in the 39th Men’s Presidential Cup, Fenerbahçe Tarfin made their 20th appearance in the competition and claimed their ninth title. The yellow-and-navy side previously won the cup in 1990, 1991, 1994, 2007, 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2025. This result marks Fenerbahçe Tarfin’s second consecutive Presidential Cup title.

Beşiktaş made their fourth appearance in the Presidential Cup, having won the title once in 2012 by defeating Anadolu Efes 77–75, and finishing as runners-up in 1987, 2025 and 2026.

This match also continues a recent series of championship encounters between the two clubs. Fenerbahçe Tarfin has won all six of their most recent championship games against Beşiktaş: the 2025 and 2026 Türkiye Kupası finals, the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 Basketbol Süper Ligi playoff finals, and the 2025 and 2026 Presidential Cup matches.

Fenerbahçe Tarfin head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius, who has been with the club since the 2023–2024 season, secured his ninth cup victory with this win. His championship titles with the club include one EuroLeague, two Presidential Cups, three Basketbol Süper Ligi titles and three Türkiye Kupası titles.

Following the conclusion of the match, an award ceremony was held at the Sinan Erdem Sport Hall. First, Beşiktaş received their runners-up medals, and the black-and-white players were presented with their awards.

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Fenerbahçe Tarfin’s coaching staff and players then received their championship medals. The championship trophy was presented to team captain Melih Mahmutoğlu by the Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak and the President of the Turkish Basketball Federation Hidayet Türkoğlu. Additional awards to the placed teams were presented by Istanbul Governor Davut Gül and TBF Executive Board Member Dr. Yılmaz Argüden.

Fenerbahçe Tarfin player Shavon Shields was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 39th Presidential Cup match. Shields, who finished the game with 10 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, received the MVP award from TBF Executive Board Member Selim Demir.

^{Fenerbahçe vs Beşiktaş match (AA)}

Following the match, club officials, the coaching staff and players provided statements to the media.

Head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius emphasized the importance of the match, noting that the high-energy performances in the EuroLeague Super Cup games in Abu Dhabi had positively impacted the team. He acknowledged the difficulty of playing and defeating Beşiktaş, stating that the team displayed clearer mental focus in the first half and managed to prevail despite challenges in the second half. He highlighted that offensive rebounds provided a key advantage and that the defense was effective. Jasikevicius added that the new signings require time to adapt and expressed satisfaction at beginning the season with a cup victory.

Fenerbahçe Basketball Branch Manager Ömer Onan emphasized the team’s seriousness and determination, noting that despite travel fatigue from Abu Dhabi and the absence of Shane Larkin and Nate Bingham, the team secured an important victory. General Manager Derya Yannier stated that starting the season with a cup win was meaningful, acknowledging areas for improvement while reaffirming the team’s commitment to working toward its goals.

Team captain Melih Mahmutoğlu noted the intensity of the upcoming schedule and praised Beşiktaş as a high-quality and resilient team. He expressed satisfaction at beginning the season with a cup win. MVP Shavon Shields, along with teammates Onuralp Bitim, Wade Baldwin and Sertaç Şanlı, highlighted that winning the cup after the long journey provided a significant morale boost and that the title was presented as a gift to the fans.

Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak, in his congratulatory message, commended Fenerbahçe Tarfin for winning the cup at the Sinan Erdem Sport Hall, praised Beşiktaş for their effort, and extended best wishes for success to all clubs in the new season.