Yalcin Granit, who made his mark in Turkish basketball with his achievements, passed into history as the first Turkish basketball player to transfer to Europe in 1955 while winning 5 championships with Galatasaray.
The legendary figure of Turkish basketball, Yalcin Granit, is being remembered on the fourth anniversary of his death. Born on September 17, 1932, in Istanbul, Granit lost his father at an early age. He attended Darussafaka High School in Fatih, where he was introduced to basketball and significantly contributed to the sport’s popularity at the school.
Graduating from high school in 1949, Granit left a mark in Turkish basketball history with several firsts during his brief active sports career.
IMPORTANT ROLE IN DARUSSALFAKA AND GALATASARAY’S BASKETBALL HISTORY
A prominent figure in Turkish basketball, Granit also gained European experience and played a crucial role in the basketball histories of Darussafaka and Galatasaray.
While studying at Darussafaka, Yalcin Granit played a leading role in establishing the basketball club. He was also an important member of the Galatasaray team that earned the title of “Unbeatable Armada” in the 1950s.
THREE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH THE NATIONAL TEAM
In his basketball career, which he played until the age of 25, Granit reflected his club success with the national team. He participated in three European championships with the national team and was the top scorer. He also represented the crescent-star team at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games.
INTRODUCTION TO GALATASARAY THANKS TO ALI SAMI YEN
Yalcin Granit had an interesting introduction to Galatasaray, where he became a legend. After completing his education at Darussafaka, he received an offer from Mulkiye at the age of 17. Granit stayed in Istanbul thanks to Ali Sami Yen, the founder of Galatasaray Club.
After accepting Mülkiye’s scholarship offer of 90 lira, Granit recounted his story of staying at Galatasaray in an interview with Anadolu Agency: “Turgut Atakol told the gentleman, ‘This kid is interested in basketball, and I want him to stay in Istanbul. He has a 90 lira scholarship from Mulkiye, but he is leaving.’ The gentleman paused for a moment and asked, ‘If we give him 100 lira, will he stay in Istanbul?’ I already wanted to stay in Istanbul very much, and I stayed at Galatasaray. When we stepped out the door, I asked Turgut brother, ‘Who is this gentleman?’ He replied, ‘Ali Sami Yen.’ Mulkiye offered me 90 lira. The gentleman gave me 100 lira, and it was thanks to him that I met Galatasaray.”
FIVE CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH GALATASARAY
Yalcin Granit won 5 championships with Galatasaray, for which he played a total of 9 seasons. Between 1948 and 1955, he secured 4 championships with the “Unbeatable Armada” team, and after a one-year experience in France, he played for Galatasaray in the 1955-1956 season. Granit celebrated his fifth championship that season and retired from basketball at the age of 25.
FIRST TURKISH BASKETBALL PLAYER TO PLAY IN EUROPE
Yalcin Granit made his mark on the world stage at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games and became the first Turkish basketball player to transfer to Europe.
He caught the attention of Robert Busnel, who would later become the president of FIBA and is considered the number one figure in French basketball. Granit moved to France in 1955 and played for Racing Club Paris for a year, also assisting Busnel in teaching basketball to French youth.
Granit shared his memories of France: “Before I even played basketball, Robert Busnel took me around every city in France. Because of my God-given talent when shooting, my wrist was very soft. When I shot, the four fingers on my hand were looking down. However, the thumb should also be looking down. Robert Busnel showed my hand while taking me around all the cities in France. I thought he was introducing me as a good player, but he was actually showing the condition of my wrist and the characteristics of my hand while shooting.”
RETIREMENT FROM BASKETBALL AT 25 FOR UNIVERSITY
With the successes he achieved during his basketball career, Granit is regarded as one of the important figures in Turkish basketball. He ended his active playing career at the early age of 25 to focus on his university studies.
In addition to his playing career, Yalcin Granit also had an academic career, graduating from the Department of Geology at Istanbul University. While playing basketball, Granit continued his academic career at university and decided to complete his playing career at an early age to focus more on his university life.
FOUNDING FIGURE OF ITU AND ECZACIBASI
Having retired from active basketball at an early age, Granit served as the head coach for Darussafaka, as well as Galatasaray, Beyogluspor, ITU, and Eczacibasi.
In the 1959-1960 season, Granit led Darussafaka to its first Istanbul League championship. In 1964, he took the helm of the Galatasaray team he was legendary for. Working with the yellow-reds during the 1964-1965 and 1967-1968 seasons, Granit became the head coach of Eczacibasi from 1971 to 1974. He is remembered in history as the founder of ITU and Eczacibasi, which left their mark on the era with championships.
Granit also briefly led the A National Basketball Team in 1961-1962. In 1984, he became an executive in Galatasaray’s basketball branch. His efforts quickly bore fruit, and the yellow-reds achieved consecutive championships for two years.
The legendary figure later took on executive roles in the Turkish Basketball Federation and Galatasaray. Having also worked as a sports writer, Granit’s life has been the subject of many basketball books.
PREVENTED THE CLOSURE OF BASKETBALL AT GALATASARAY
Yalcin Granit prevented the closure of the basketball branch during the presidency of Ozhan Canaydin at Galatasaray. Describing that period, Granit stated:
“Ozhan Canaydin and Fenerbahce Club President Aziz Yildirim decided to close their basketball branches. Later, when Ozhan spoke to me, he changed his mind. During that time, I took on great responsibility to ensure the branch would not close. You cannot imagine the difficulties I faced. Just think, we couldn’t even get money from match broadcasts.”
HIS JERSEY HUNG IN AYHAN SAHENK SPORTS HALL
As one of the founders of basketball at Darussafaka, Yalcin Granit’s jersey is displayed in the Ayhan Sahenk Sports Hall. In 2014, Darussafaka Club held a ceremony to retire Granit’s number 4 jersey, hanging it in the Ayhan Sahenk Sports Hall.
Yalcin Granit passed away on November 1, 2020, at the age of 88.
