Fenerbahce deny allegations of Scottie Wilbekin rejecting Turkish NT call-up / News - Basketnews.com

Fenerbahce rebuts coach Ergin Ataman's claims and cites Scottie Wilbekin's knee injury for non-participation in the 2024 Paris Olympic Pre-Qualification Tournament.

Credit: IMAGO/Seskim Photo-Scanpix Credit IMAGO/Seskim Photo-Scanpix

As the 2024 Paris Olympic Pre-Qualification Tournament is approaching, the Turkish national team faces an off-court fuss.

Scottie Wilbekin

Position:PG, SGAge:30Height:188 cmWeight:80 kgBirth place:United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

Coach Ergin Ataman won't be able to use Shane Larkin or Scottie Wilbekin in the upcoming tournament. Anadolu Efes guard was ruled out due to an injury, while Ataman claimed that Wilbekin refused to join the national team "despite all the calls we made to him and his club."

"There's nothing we can do, we can't force anyone and tell them, 'Come, play for the national team.' We announced the preliminary roster five weeks ago and informed all clubs about that. We also tried to reach the players, but if the player does not pick up the phone, there's nothing you can do. In this case, you notify their club, and you wait," Ataman said after beating Poland 98-73 on Wednesday night.

Following his remarks, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul released an official statement denying Ataman's allegations over Scottie Wilbekin. The club says that Wilbekin did not decline national team participation but requested to be excused from the qualifying games this summer due to his significant knee injury.

Fenerbahce have tried to remain silent about the matter to avoid harming the national team, but Ataman's declarations forced them to intervene.

Full Fenerbahce statement:

"We have been closely monitoring the situation surrounding our athlete, Scottie Wilbekin, and have taken measured steps throughout the entire process. Initially, we refrained from making a statement so as not to overshadow the impending crucial matches for our National Team.

Regrettably, not all parties have shown the same level of sensitivity and consideration. Recent announcements have compelled us to share this information.

Our player, Scottie Wilbekin, unfortunately, suffered two long-term injuries in the same knee during the 2022-23 season, and as everyone knows, he was sidelined for about three months, including the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoff series, due to these injuries.

Although Wilbekin could not reach 100% efficiency, he fought on the court in the Turkish Insurance Basketball Super League Playoff series with his personal devotion, and as soon as the season ended, he followed the program prepared by both the guidance of our Fenerbahce Beko health and strength teams and his own professional support teams in the U.S.

His focus throughout the summer was on rehabilitating his injured knee, engaging in injury-prevention exercises, and ensuring he enters the new season with minimal risk.

To clarify, his summer was dedicated to achieving peak physical condition for the upcoming season, rather than basketball-specific training.

At this point, there is absolutely no question of being unable to reach him, not responding to calls, or refusing this precious jersey for arbitrary reasons, as alleged.

Our player, Scottie Wilbekin, explained the above-mentioned process in detail from the first day we were contacted by our National Team administrative teams, and presented his reports to our National Team officials both about his injury processes during the season and all the details of the special program he applied during the summer period.

Contrary to claims, Wilbekin did not decline National Team participation; he expressed his inability to engage in competitive matches due to the significant knee injury he sustained -- a first in his career. He humbly requested to be excused from the qualifying games this summer. Our branch consistently communicated all aspects of this process to the Turkish Basketball Federation officials.

It is important to reiterate that Wilbekin has always displayed unwavering dedication whenever representing the National Team jersey. A recent notable instance was in November during a National Team window. Less than 24 hours after an intense Turkish Airlines EuroLeague match with Red Star on November 10, 2022, Wilbekin valiantly represented our National Team against Belgium on November 11, 2022, in Istanbul, and again on November 14, 2022, in Serbia.

Our club has tried to remain silent about this process until the last moment in order not to harm our National Team as long as it is in.

Our club maintained silence on this matter until now, aiming to safeguard the interests of our National Team. We anticipate that our branch officials will provide a comprehensive statement after the conclusion of the National Team games, evaluating the team's current status and the events of the summer.

We express our regret for needing to issue this statement before the National Team's crucial matches and extend our heartfelt wishes for boundless success to our National Team."

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