Her reaction Fenerbahce caused what he said a few days ago Ergin Ataman regarding Scotty Wilbekin’s absence from Turkey’s qualifying matches for the Pre-Olympic Tournament.
“There is nothing we can do about his case. We cannot force anyone to come and compete with the national team. We also tried to inform the players as well, but when someone doesn’t pick up the phone, then there’s not much we can do from our side. In this case, you inform the team and wait. We could not find Wilbekin. I don’t think there are any gray areas, Wilbekin let us down“, said the Turkish federal coach and now his technician Panathinaikou.
Fenerbahçe issued a statement defending the American guard. “Wilbekin suffered two knee injuries and was sidelined for three months, missing the Euroleague playoffs among others. Although he was not at 100%, he showed his commitment to the team by playing in the finals and after the season ended he followed a rehabilitation program. He spent the entire summer strengthening his injured knee in order to avoid future injuries and be ready for the new season with the least possible risk. There was never an issue of him being unreachable or not answering the phone or refusing to play in the national team for his own reasons. He explained how he is in communication with the national team officials and never said that he refuses to play in the national team. We remind you that since he got his passport, he has served the Turkish national team with devotion. In November, less than 24 hours after the match against Red Star, he played in the crucial match against Belgium and then in Serbia. Our club tried to keep quiet so as not to hurt the national team and we regret that we had to take this position before their crucial games».
Source: Sport Fm
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