Pic credit: Nina Sander

Gian Aydinoglu (189-PG-2003) is a 23 year old 189cm guard that is playing his first season with the Bozic Estriche Knights Kirchheim (ProA) and helped lead them into the Pro A final. He began his career in the Alba Berlin organization and helped them win the NBBL title in 2022. He then played 3 years with the Basketball Lowen Braunschweig playing a total of 35 easyCredit BBL games and 6 Fiba Europe Cup games. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

You played many years in the Alba Berlin organization. How vital were these early years in your basketball development?

Those years were very important for my development. The foundation for my game, mentality and ideology was set there. Vladi Bogojevic was instrumental in my development as I had him as a coach in the JBBL and NBBL. One really sees how good of a job Alba Berlin does with the youth program simply with the success the players have had since. You haven´t seen that kind of success consistently again anywhere else. I give a big thanks to Alba Berlin that I could play there. I wouldn´t be the player I am today without Alba Berlin

How vital was Vladi Bogojevic for your development as a player?

Vladi comes from the old jugo school. I remember that I was scared to go to practice when Vladi was my coach in the JBBL. But I mean that in a positive way. I will never forget when he told me that I could practice with the BBL team Alba Berlin. He lives in my area in Berlin and when I go home in the summer, we always meet and have a coffee and talk about the good old days.

In your last season with Alba Berlin, you had your break through with SSV Lokomotive Bernau (ProB) averaging 10.0ppg, 1.6rpg, 2.8apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 58.7%, 3PT: 22.7%, FT: 68.7% and played also at ALBA Berlin U19 team (NBBL) averaging 9.2ppg, 2.7rpg, 2.9apg, 2.0spg, FGP: 56.9%, 3PT: 31.6%, FT: 59.1%. You really stepped up your game in the last 2 months in the Pro B. Did head coach Rene Schilling give you more trust?

Yes he did. I made my break through in my last year in 2021-2022. I think that my hard work and play rewarded me with more minutes in the Pro B. I remember that we didn´t have a good season and had to play in the playdowns in order to remain in the Pro B. Bernau had fired the point guard and Rene came to me and told me that he had trust in me and the other young guys like Nolan Adekunle and Rikus Schulte to carry the team. We did that and were able to stay in the Pro B.

You helped Alba Berlin win the 2022 NBBL title. What do you remember being so special about that team?

I think that one can see how special that team really was just by looking what happened to the players. Rapique made it to the Euroleague with Alba Berlin, Nils Machowski will play at UConn, Chris Tilley reached March Madness with Ohio State, Schulte was averaging near 20 points then in the Pro B, and Bayram is in the Pro A like me. That also shows what kind of a coach Vladi Bogojevic is. His old Jugo school helped everyone.

What was it like sharing the playmaking duties with Kaya Bayram? Do you follow his career now?

Yes of course I follow his career. We are still good friends today. Kirchheim and Tubingen aren´t so far away. We met last pre season in Stuttgart and had a coffee. I still have good contact to every one of my NBBL teammates from that winning season in 2022.

You then played 3 seasons with the Basketball Lowen Braunschweig. What kind of a player did you become in those 3 years?

I had my first pro B experience with Bernau and practiced with the BBL team, but with Braunschweig it was my first time being part of a BBL roster from the start of the season. It was definitely different. I worked a lot on my body and that showed in my debut season. I was totally fearless. I remember that Sananda Fu always said, that if I play then I will score points. I always played my game. The negative thing was that I had injuries and I lost my rhythm and always had to find it again. It wasn´t easy coming back from injury. Braunschweig did a good job developing young Germans. I remember that Dennis Schroeder was very close to the organization. His motivation for the club also gave me motivation. Every German player wants to achieve what Dennis Schroeder has achieved.

You never averaged more than 1,7ppg in a BBL season. Did you get a fair chance there?

I did get a fair chance in Braunschweig, but injuries set me back. It is difficult for a 19-20 year old to get minutes in the BBL. A lot happened in these 3 years. We fought to stay in the league my first year and in the second season, we were in the playdowns. Then in my third year, I left half way in the season to Kirchheim. Nobody thought then that the team would be fighting for a wild card now.

What was it like playing for Spanish head coach Jesus Ramirez. How did he help your game most?

The biggest problem was that he didn´t know exactly what kind of a player I was. Maybe he had a different picture of the kind of player I was. He helped me with discipline and the notion of being the first at practice and last to go. But I had already learned that with Alba Berlin.

What teammate had the biggest impact on you in the 3 years in Braunschweig?

The players that had the biggest impact on me where David Kramer because of his individual qualities, Braydon Hobbs because of his IQ and the Tischler brothers because of their work horse mentality.

You had many good games in the BBL and Fiba Europe Cup. What was your fondest moment?

I will never forget my BBL debut in Bayreuth as well as my first game in Berlin. I had gone to games there as a kid and then I was playing there- I also liked playing In Bursa. My family comes from there and there were many people watching me there.

You took a step back to the Pro A. Is the easyCredit BBL still your goal?

The easyCredit BBL is still my goal.

Who was the toughest player that you ever faced in your life?

David Kramer was never fun to defend.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Braydon Hobbs, David Kramer, Tischler´s, Luke Sikma, Jilson Bango

Please name your NBA and German Mount Rushmore?

Lebron James, Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, Steph Curry

Dennis Schroeder, Dirk Nowitzki, Maodo Lo, Franz Wagner

Who is your GOAT?

Lebron James.

Thanks Gian for the chat.