Fenerbahce won the Turkish championship on Friday, beating Besiktas 77-75 and clinching the final series 3-1 with a dramatic game-winning basket. The title capped a night made especially emotional by the farewell of veteran guard Nando De Colo.
De Colo, who returned to Fenerbahce in January for a second stint, had already announced he would retire at the end of the season. With the campaign now over, the 9 minutes he played in the title game, without points or rebounds but with three assists, were effectively his final minutes as a professional basketball player.
After the game, team captain Melih Mahmutoglu called De Colo over to join the trophy celebration, and the two lifted the championship together for the team coached by Sarunas Jasikevicius. It was a symbolic ending for a player who helped close out the season with a championship.
De Colo said, “Fenerbahce is a very special club for me. I am so happy to end my career as a champion at this club. Yes, today was my last day as a basketball player, but for me basketball will never end. You will still see me in basketball in some way.”
