Braxton Key Joins Fenerbahçe: 'The club's atmosphere and volleyball interest deeply affected me' - Fenerbahçe TV Interview

Braxton Key, one of Fenerbahçe Tarfin's new transfers, gave evaluations on his career and Fenerbahçe basketball organization in the interview he attended on Fenerbahçe TV. Braxton Key's statements are as follows “The atmosphere in the entire club branches is incredible. I noticed that there is a lot of interest in volleyball here; so I want to go to a few volleyball matches. I saw that the football team has reached the Champions League, this is really great. Of course, I should go to football matches too. The basketball team has achieved many successes in recent years and has reached the Final Four two or three times in a row. I hope this season we can take one step further and win the championship.” Evaluating the transfer process, Key said, “It was a nice process. Last season I was wearing the Valencia jersey in Spain. Towards the end of the season, my manager had started talking to the club but I don't know exactly when. Before the championship series we would play for Barcelona, my manager said that Fenerbahçe was interested in me. I told him I wanted to focus on winning the championship first; I would think about next season, contracts and other things later. The day after my Valencia season ended, I signed a contract with Fenerbahçe. The rest is already known.” The basketball player, conveying the fact that he comes from a basketball family and that it has become a part of his genes, said, “Basketball, as you said, has always been a part of my family. My uncle Ralph Sampson was incredibly successful in basketball; he was selected first in the NBA Draft. Having an uncle like that made it natural for us to play basketball and pick up the ball at family gatherings or any time we were together. We have always played basketball since childhood. We all thought we would be better than him one day. Of course, reaching his level was a huge goal but we all tried. In short, basketball has definitely always been in my family's life.” Talking about the impact of his uncle Ralph Sampson, who was selected four times as NBA All-Star and was MVP of the All-Star Game, the new transfer said, “I can't say he had too much influence; I guess it would be inappropriate to say that. But of course he helped me. I still talk to him today; we even talked yesterday. On the court and off, I can consult and get his opinions on topics I think about in basketball. He also supported me when I transferred to Virginia and made the process much easier. He still lives near that region. The rest of our family also lives in Harrisonburg, about 50 minutes from Charlottesville. So being able to see my family was very good. I definitely had a great time during the period I spent in Charlottesville.” Braxton Key gave the following answer to the question of how decisive his uncle Ralph Sampson's perspective on basketball is: “What impressed me the most is that he taught me that I should always put my best effort. You have to give 100% every day. Some days your shots go in, some days they don't; however, your attitude, your struggle and your energy should be at the same level every day. When you do that, results will start to appear over time. I also try to act with this understanding every day: I give my best and 100%. As I continue to develop as long as I put out my best on the court, whether my shots go in or not.” Talking about his role after moving from Alabama to Virginia, Key said, “We really had a great team. I think six players from that roster played in the NBA at some point in their career and only three of our players were drafted that year. I also thought that the best way to make an impact on the court is to make defense, rebound and take on the things that others don't want to do. So I could stay on the court longer. In Coach Bennett's system, we played a very patient, low tempo offense. We used almost the entire offensive time and shot once to wear down the opponents. This is why being patient on offense; trusting the system, the technical staff and the whole process was necessary for me. It was hard but it was a very valuable lesson for me.” “What I will say is this: Defense pays off everywhere. As I said, some days shots go in, some days they don't; offensive performance can be variable but you can carry your defense every game. This is why you need to be constantly focused on defense. I take great pride in my defense. I enjoy stopping the opponent you are matched with and then scoring on the offense. My priority is to do everything in my power to prevent the opponent you are defending from scoring and to make it hard for the rival team to produce points. I really attach importance to this topic.” Talking about the change in confidence point with being selected as the Defensive Player of the Year in the NBA G League in the 2026-25 season, Key said, “Honestly, the biggest change was my confidence. Instead of challenging the game, I let it flow. I was not focusing on scoring or moving to the NBA. I was only trying to put out my best every day. Then positive results started to come one after another and I gained a lot of momentum. I believe in the power of momentum. Once you find your rhythm, you can continue it. I also managed to protect this momentum once I understood what I had to do and found a good rhythm and flow. As a result of this, positive developments took place.” Talking about his preference for G League and Europe, the new transfer said, “I got individual awards and important achievements in the G League. I also had the opportunity to get to the NBA and play some games and be noticed. However, playing in the G League is extremely tough and requires a lot of commitment. I now really wanted to play meaningful games. I did not want to focus on the constant thought of ‘I have to get to the NBA’ because almost everyone’s main goal in the G League is this. I wanted to play in front of passionate fans, in matches where the result really mattered. I wanted to be in an environment where players focus not only on their own statistics and personal achievements, but on the question ‘How can we win as a team?’. I decided to explore this aspect of my basketball understanding more and see how things will progress. I had a very good year last season in Valencia and reached the Final Four. So everything turned out really as I wanted.” Talking about the initial difficulties in adapting to European basketball, the forward said, “Actually, I can't say I adapted very quickly. At the beginning of the season, we often clashed with Pedro. However, as the season progressed, I started to understand what European coaches expect from players. Here, you are expected to work very intensively in training. In the NBA, however, trainings do not pass so harsh; you mostly do individual works and apply routines. In Europe, you need to show very high effort both in training and in matches. The importance of every match and every position is great regardless of EuroLeague or local league. It was quite hard for me to completely change my mentality and accept this. However, after I understood the system, our relationship with Pedro developed a lot. Now I really love him and we are very good. We are much closer than compared to the beginning of the season. We still talk and continue our communication.” Talking briefly about the conversation he had with our head coach Saras Jasikevicius “During the period when he wanted to bring me to the team, I talked with Saras about how important the four position in EuroLeague is today. There are very talented players like Nigel Hayes-Davis, an old Fenerbahçeli. I had to play against him in our series in Valencia. There are also important names like Sasha Vezenkov and Chima Moneke from Olympiakos in this position. There are many talented four positions in EuroLeague. You have to defend these players and also make them tire out on offense by putting pressure on both sides of the field. My task is also to put pressure on opponents both on offense and defense; with my athleticism, my running power and my defense to give the contribution that the team needs. We also expect to increase the tempo a bit this season. I can bring some features from my game in Valencia by running from the wings. At the same time, acquiring some features that were not present in my previous game is also very beneficial for me.” talking about the fact that he enjoys working with our head coach Jasikevicius: “It has gone very well so far; everything is going very well. He has not disappointed me yet, so maybe when I ask this question again in one or two weeks, my thoughts may change! Just kidding, I really enjoy working with him. He is similar to Coach Pedro Martínez in Valencia. As you said, he is very demanding and detail-oriented. The fact that he notices small details is the most striking feature for me. He is not only focused on the successful shot; he sees the screen that creates the area for that shot or the pass that prepares the position. Sometimes he even cares about the third pass that prepares the shot. Focusing so much on details really pleases me a lot.” Braxton gave the following answer to the question of how the different game systems between Fenerbahçe Tarfin and Valencia affect his role: “Yes; Saras wants me to be fast on offense and defense, quick decision making and putting out the same high energy every day. However, I think there is much more freedom in decision making and directing the ball here. He does not want players to stay tied to only one position; he expects everyone to adapt to positionless basketball. Sometimes a pivot can carry the ball to the front court, sometimes a playmaker can put the ball on a screen. This fluidity in offense resembles the successful period of Golden State with positionless basketball. I think this system will create many new possibilities and will allow players to show their offensive skills more. In defense, however, we all have to be completely focused and fight hard. If you want to win the championship, you have to stop the opponent and make good defense. It is very important for me to become one of the main pillars of the team's defense. His strongest points on the court are, “Making defense and defending all players from number one to number five. You can be effective against both the player with the ball and in the ball-less area, you can go to help defense when necessary. Also, I think I can see what will happen before they happen by anticipating positions. One of the reasons I can steal the ball a lot is this. On offense, driving to closeouts, going to the basket, rebounding and making the right decision are my strong points. When I enter the painted area, usually another defender comes to help; I can find my teammate open behind the three-point line. I can say these are my strongest features.” Talking about the adaptation process, the successful player said: “I think the adaptation process will go well. Yes, there are many American players in our team and many names left the team. However, at the same time, most of the players have worn a jersey in Europe before. When you play one or two seasons in Europe in EuroLeague or another league, you understand the order here and what they expect from you every day. Talen is doing a great job so far; I have no doubt about it. He is leading and explaining to players where they should stand, where they should move. Wade is also doing the same. Our captain Melih is also helping us in the same way. The experienced names left in the team are guiding us by saying ‘This is what we need on offense, the coach wants this in training, these are bad shots, these are good shots’. Learning these from the first training sessions is very valuable. So we can develop only good habits without bad habits, in the following process. Talking about the importance of the preparation period in the formation of team chemistry, the successful player said, “I think this period is very important for this. If I remember correctly, we will play eight or nine preparation matches. Besides training, we will have many opportunities to spend time together on the court. Matches are very useful in seeing what players can do and understanding and determining roles in the team. We have serious tests ahead. We will also compete in the Super Cup with EuroLeague teams. I guess we will play against Olympiakos first. We will have the opportunity to see at what level we are against a team that has just won the EuroLeague. This period is very suitable for learning our roles and understanding where we stand as a team. So when the first official match comes, no one will have a question mark in their head and we will not experience any adaptation problems.” Past players who wore the Fenerbahçe jersey still follow the club even after leaving. There is a very strong bond between former players and the club; their love for Fenerbahçe is still going on. I think the Fenerbahçe brand is really very big. This summer, when I was training in New York, America, I was telling people that I transferred to Fenerbahçe. When they asked me, ‘Where will you play next season?’ I said ‘In Fenerbahçe’. They also replied, ‘Yes, we know that team in Istanbul’. This also shows how big a brand Fenerbahçe is. I also know how strong a club it is in Europe. I have played against Fenerbahçe before; their fans are incredible and really great. I think I will feel the club's greatness more when the matches start. There are already many people following our trainings. Club executives and general managers are constantly with us. Seeing this strong unity inside the club so far is very nice. Talking about the reactions from Fenerbahçe fans, “Reactions so far are incredible; I hope they continue like this throughout the season! The fans gave me great support, made me feel welcomed and like at home. I love Istanbul and every minute I spent here. As you see, I also really liked Turkish tea. Everything I experienced related to Istanbul so far was great. Fans also treated me very well and kindly. I have no complaints; I hope everything will continue like I said throughout the season.” summarizing in this way, the successful basketball player, “As far as I remember, Fenerbahçe fans were really very good. We started the match a bit better than Fenerbahçe but the fans did not reduce their support for a moment. They did not get angry at the team; there was no grumbling or dissatisfaction voice from the stands. As Valencia, we usually play very fast, make rival teams follow our tempo and make their fans nervous. However, Fenerbahçe fans preserved their calmness and support, players also did not break their game discipline in the same way. In the end, Fenerbahçe won the match. As far as I remember, the fans were extremely lively and loud. They were inside the game throughout the match. Their cheers were really incredible. I hope I learn some of them and I can say them together with them. Really a great fan community.” by speaking with praise for our fans and the atmosphere they create. Talking about his thoughts about Istanbul, the young player said, “As I said, everything has been very positive so far. Istanbul is really very beautiful. I was surprised by how modern the buildings are; I honestly didn't expect it. The city is also quite clean and very different from the New York I lived in. Of course, it is also a very big city. I guess they said 15 million people live there; so every time I go out, I see a lot of people. It is really impressive. I really loved Kadıköy, it is a very beautiful region. I also liked every place around the Bosphorus. On my first permission day, I went on a yacht with my family and went to the Islands. It was really very beautiful. The Islands, I guess, are one of the most beautiful places I have seen so far. Going there, jumping into the water from the boat and spending nice time was great.” Talking about a career shaped by basketball beyond that, he said it would be ‘finance’, “I would want to work in the finance field. Maybe I would work in a finance company. Many friends of mine work in this sector in America. The way money works, how it is transferred from one point to another and how money can make more money interests me a lot. So I think finance would be a good starting point for me. My relationship with numbers is very good; numbers are constantly in my mind. For example, in opponent analyses, I think about players' statistics, shooting percentages and which regions of the field they use shots from. Numbers make it easier for me to understand the game.” Talking about his goals for the new season, Braxton Key said the following: “Yes, exactly as you said, our main goal is this. We want to win all the cups we can and win every match possible. Of course it will be very hard to achieve this but I believe it is possible. We have a very talented team, good leaders, great coaches and strong names in management. We have a very solid organization from beginning to end. My personal goal is to do everything in my power to help the team win. I really want to be selected as Defensive Player of the Year both in EuroLeague and in Turkish League. As I said before, I take great pride in my defense. When I make good defense, I think I raise my team's chance of winning to the highest level. This is my only personal goal this season. Apart from that, I only want to win championships. Finally talking about our fans, Braxton Key, “There is a lot to say. Be with us throughout this season. It will be a great year and we are all very excited. Of course we are a newly established team but we work very well. We work intensively in training and fulfill what we have to do. You should come to every one of our matches and show your love and support. Also tell me about the nice coffee shops in Istanbul, the places where I can drink Turkish tea and things I must definitely do here; I will try all of them.” by concluding his words. Click for the latest developments in the basketball agenda! Click for the latest news in the EuroLeague agenda! Click for the latest news in the NBA agenda!