NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
Shane Larkin recently achieved a significant milestone by aiding Turkiye in securing a silver medal at EuroBasket 2025. Looking back to 2013, he was a rising star from Miami, chosen as the 18th overall pick in the annual draft, but faced a setback when he injured his ankle during a practice session with the Dallas Mavericks.
“In a nutshell, I’d advise my younger self to enjoy the game more,” he reflected in a recent interview with HoopsHype. “When I entered the league, I placed immense pressure on myself to succeed, which ended up making the game less enjoyable. Being drafted 18th overall by a franchise like Dallas, which was in a win-now mentality, added to the stress. Just one week after the draft, I broke my ankle, leaving me sidelined for the first several months of the season, watching from the bench. I knew my chance would come, and when it did, we were just around the .500 mark, battling for a playoff spot. I should have approached it as a rookie looking to play aggressively, make mistakes, and enjoy basketball as I always had— the very style that got me drafted. Instead, my mindset was more about avoiding errors and not screwing up.”
“I can vividly recall the moment it happened. Everything about it is clear in my mind,” he spoke about the painful injury. “It was in Dallas, right before we were set to head to the Summer League. We had morning practice, and I believe it was the first time Mark Cuban was there to observe, having just invested a first-round pick in me.”
“It was a one-on-one fast-break situation with a big guy trailing behind. I thought to myself, ‘I’m going to make an incredible play and dunk this.’ As I went up to take off, I slipped just a bit, and my foot twisted awkwardly and—snap! I heard a loud crack and found myself on the floor. Initially, I couldn’t even get back up. It felt like it all just gave way beneath me, and I lay there thinking, ‘No way, this can’t be happening.’ Trying to maintain my composure, I stayed on the ground for a moment,” he reminisced. “I felt a bit of pain but managed to get up and walked off the court slowly. I gingerly walked up the steps, applied the game ready treatment, and when I took that off, my ankle was swollen like a balloon. We had a flight to Vegas planned for later that day, and once the athletic trainer, Casey, examined my ankle, it was clear I wouldn’t be making that trip.”
The Cincinnati native elaborated on his journey to the NBA and later career decisions abroad.
“I was fortunate to achieve my dream of being drafted at just 20 years old, only to break my ankle a week later. After that, I found myself bouncing around until I faced a decision: take a non-guaranteed deal in the NBA and keep pushing for a spot or head overseas for the chance to play significant minutes,” he explained. “I’m thankful I had an open mind and didn’t want to settle for a third-string point guard position waiting for someone to get hurt. It felt wrong to rely on others’ misfortunes for my opportunity; I wanted to earn it through my own performance.”
“You need to truly immerse yourself in the experience to grasp it completely,” he added, reflecting on his rise to prominence in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. “I’m not comparing myself to any NBA superstar, but the way fans treated Kyrie Irving in Cleveland parallels how Kendrick Nunn is embraced in Athens or how I’m regarded in Istanbul, and similarly Mike James in Monaco. These elite players enjoy lifestyles that you can’t fully understand unless you live in those cities and experience it firsthand.”
In 2021 and 2022, Larkin claimed EuroLeague titles with Efes and was honored with a spot on the All-25 EuroLeague Team. He boasts a wealth of experience with 247 appearances in Europe’s top club competition, in addition to 267 games played in the NBA with teams such as the Mavericks, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and Boston Celtics.
Stay updated with the latest news!
