# Shane Larkin
**Shane Larkin** (born DeShane Larkin, 1992) is an American-born Turkish professional basketball point guard who plays for Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and for the Turkish national team. He starred at the [University of Miami](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-miami), was drafted 18th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft, and became one of the defining players of the modern [EuroLeague](https://www.edgepedia.org/euroleague) with Anadolu Efes, where he set the competition's single-game scoring record with 49 points in November 2019[1](https://miamihurricanes.com/roster/shane-larkin/) • [2](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/larkish01.html) • [3](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/mediacentre/en/games/view/17151/yes).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | DeShane Larkin, 1992; height 182 cm (6'0")[1](https://miamihurricanes.com/roster/shane-larkin/) • [4](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/players/227620-shane-larkin) |
| College | Miami (2011–13): 11.2 points, 3.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals in 68 games; ACC Player of the Year and ACC Tournament MVP as a sophomore[1](https://miamihurricanes.com/roster/shane-larkin/) |
| NBA | Drafted 18th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2013; 256 NBA games at 5.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists per game[2](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/larkish01.html) • [5](https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/shane-larkin-1.html) |
| EuroLeague record | 49 points vs FC Bayern Munich, November 2019, the single-game scoring record; record-tying 10 three-pointers vs Olympiacos Piraeus in March 2020[3](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/mediacentre/en/games/view/17151/yes) |
| National team | Naturalized Turkish citizen (2020); silver medal at EuroBasket 2025 with Turkey[6](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/sports/anadolu-efes-star-larkin-can-join-turkish-national-team/1727561) • [7](https://www.turkiyegazetesi.com.tr/spor/shane-larkin-resmen-fenerbahcede-1803013) |
## Family and early life
Larkin was born in 1992 and grew up in [Orlando, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/orlando-florida), where he played at [Dr. Phillips High School](https://www.edgepedia.org/dr-phillips-high-school), averaging 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 3.5 steals as a senior and finishing with a school-record 320 steals[1](https://miamihurricanes.com/roster/shane-larkin/). He is the son of Lisa and [Barry Larkin](https://www.edgepedia.org/barry-larkin), the Cincinnati Reds shortstop who was a 12-time All-Star and Hall of Fame player, and comes from an athletic family that includes uncles Byron Larkin (Xavier basketball), Mike Larkin (Notre Dame football), and Steve Larkin (Texas baseball)[1](https://miamihurricanes.com/roster/shane-larkin/). Deion Sanders, his favorite athlete growing up, gave him the nickname SugaShane[1](https://miamihurricanes.com/roster/shane-larkin/).
## College career at Miami
Larkin originally committed to DePaul in 2010 but was granted a release in August 2011 and transferred to the University of Miami, where an NCAA waiver allowed him to play immediately[1](https://miamihurricanes.com/roster/shane-larkin/). As a freshman he averaged 7.4 points and made the All-ACC Freshman Team; as a sophomore in 2012-13 he led Miami in points (522), assists (164), and steals (71) for a second straight season, averaging 14.5 points per game[1](https://miamihurricanes.com/roster/shane-larkin/).
His sophomore season brought national recognition: ACC Player of the Year (coaches, [Sports Illustrated](https://www.edgepedia.org/sports-illustrated), and ESPN), Second Team All-America, ACC Tournament MVP, and finalist standing for the [Bob Cousy](https://www.edgepedia.org/bob-cousy), Wooden, and Naismith awards[1](https://miamihurricanes.com/roster/shane-larkin/). He scored a career-high 28 points against North Carolina on March 17, 2013, and averaged 23.7 points while shooting 51.1 percent from the field in the ACC tournament[1](https://miamihurricanes.com/roster/shane-larkin/). He declared for the NBA Draft on April 28, 2013[1](https://miamihurricanes.com/roster/shane-larkin/).
## NBA career
The [Atlanta Hawks](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlanta-hawks) selected Larkin in the first round, 18th overall, of the 2013 NBA Draft[2](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/larkish01.html). Over an NBA career of 256 games he averaged 5.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game, playing for teams including the [Dallas Mavericks](https://www.edgepedia.org/dallas-mavericks), the [New York Knicks](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-knicks), and the Boston Celtics[5](https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/shane-larkin-1.html) • [8](https://cuse.com/documents/download/2018/2/16/HurricaneNotes2_17_18.pdf).
## Move to Europe and Anadolu Efes years
Larkin arrived in Europe in 2016 with Baskonia in Spain's Vitoria-Gasteiz, averaging 13.1 points over 33 EuroLeague games in the 2016-17 season[9](https://as.com/baloncesto/mas_baloncesto/un-eurobasket-de-naturalizados-asi-funciona-la-regla-de-la-fiba-por-la-que-los-equipos-tienen-jugadores-extranjeros-n/) • [5](https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/shane-larkin-1.html). After a season with the [Boston Celtics](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-celtics) and negotiations with Barcelona, he joined Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 2018, where he remained for eight seasons[9](https://as.com/baloncesto/mas_baloncesto/un-eurobasket-de-naturalizados-asi-funciona-la-regla-de-la-fiba-por-la-que-los-equipos-tienen-jugadores-extranjeros-n/).
**Record performances.** In November 2019 Larkin scored 49 points in 31 minutes in a 104-75 win over [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.edgepedia.org/fc-bayern-munich), shattering the EuroLeague single-game scoring record and earning MVP of the Month for November[3](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/mediacentre/en/games/view/17151/yes) • [10](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/827). In March 2020 he tied the EuroLeague record with 10 three-pointers against Olympiacos Piraeus in a 40-point game, becoming the first player this century to score 40 or more points twice[3](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/mediacentre/en/games/view/17151/yes).
**Team success.** In the 2020-21 EuroLeague title season he averaged 14.7 points and 5.3 assists in 39 games, and he was named to the season's best five[12](https://www.anadoluefessk.org/en/news/shane-larkin-ile-iki-yil-daha-1).
## Turkish national team
Larkin's application for Turkish citizenship was accepted in 2020, making him eligible for Turkey's national team; reporting described his naturalization as a matter of state in Turkey, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan personally involved[6](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/sports/anadolu-efes-star-larkin-can-join-turkish-national-team/1727561) • [14](https://as.com/baloncesto/mas_baloncesto/eurobasket-sin-fronteras-n/). He has occupied Turkey's naturalized-player slot since 2020 and became one of the reference players of the Turkish selection[9](https://as.com/baloncesto/mas_baloncesto/un-eurobasket-de-naturalizados-asi-funciona-la-regla-de-la-fiba-por-la-que-los-equipos-tienen-jugadores-extranjeros-n/). His FIBA senior record includes 14.8 points and 6.8 assists per game in the 2023 World Cup European Qualifiers, 9.2 points and 7.0 assists at [EuroBasket 2022](https://www.edgepedia.org/eurobasket-2022), and 11.6 points and 5.1 assists at [EuroBasket 2025](https://www.edgepedia.org/eurobasket-2025), where Turkey won the silver medal[4](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/players/227620-shane-larkin) • [7](https://www.turkiyegazetesi.com.tr/spor/shane-larkin-resmen-fenerbahcede-1803013).
## Fenerbahçe
He joins a perimeter group that also includes Wade Baldwin and [Talen Horton-Tucker](https://www.edgepedia.org/talen-horton-tucker), and he has said he believes Fenerbahçe have the EuroLeague's best guard rotation[16](https://as.com/baloncesto/euroliga/la-carrera-por-la-euroliga-pao-olympiacos-fenerbahce-madrid-el-barca-12-f202609-n/) • [17](https://basketnews.com/news-252490-shane-larkin-names-euroleague-best-guard-rotation.html).
## Playing style
At 1.80 to 1.83 meters, Larkin is an undersized scoring guard who generates offense off the dribble in pick-and-roll, relying on speed, step-backs, pull-ups, and floaters, and he is often shielded in switch situations defensively[18](https://www.glitch-network.com/en/basketball/f50e87d0349e434f.html). Analysts classify him among the EuroLeague's combo guards, defined more by dual-threat capability than by traditional position labels[19](https://basketnews.com/news-244472-positionless-basketball-euroleague-nba-explained.html). His career ranks among the five best in EuroLeague history on PIR, the league's performance index rating[20](https://675hoops.com/compare/).
## References
1. [Shane Larkin – Men's Basketball 2012-13, University of Miami Athletics](https://miamihurricanes.com/roster/shane-larkin/)
2. [Shane Larkin Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status – Basketball-Reference](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/larkish01.html)
3. [EuroLeague Media Center – game notes on Larkin's records](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/mediacentre/en/games/view/17151/yes)
4. [Shane Larkin (Türkiye) – FIBA Basketball player profile](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/players/227620-shane-larkin)
5. [Shane Larkin International Stats – Basketball-Reference](https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/shane-larkin-1.html)
6. [Anadolu Efes star Larkin can join Turkish national team – Anadolu Agency](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/sports/anadolu-efes-star-larkin-can-join-turkish-national-team/1727561)
7. [Shane Larkin resmen Fenerbahçe'de – Türkiye Gazetesi](https://www.turkiyegazetesi.com.tr/spor/shane-larkin-resmen-fenerbahcede-1803013)
8. [Syracuse game notes listing Larkin with the Boston Celtics](https://cuse.com/documents/download/2018/2/16/HurricaneNotes2_17_18.pdf)
9. [Un Eurobasket de naturalizados – AS](https://as.com/baloncesto/mas_baloncesto/un-eurobasket-de-naturalizados-asi-funciona-la-regla-de-la-fiba-por-la-que-los-equipos-tienen-jugadores-extranjeros-n/)
10. [EuroLeague Media Center – MVP of November press release](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/827)
11. [Shane Larkin signe à Fenerbahçe – L'Équipe](https://www.lequipe.fr/Basket/Actualites/Shane-larkin-signe-a-fenerbahce-apres-huit-saisons-passees-chez-le-rival-de-l-anadolu-efes-istanbul/1704126)
12. [Two More Years With Shane Larkin – Anadolu Efes SK](https://www.anadoluefessk.org/en/news/shane-larkin-ile-iki-yil-daha-1)
13. [EuroLeague press release – MVP of the Round 13, 2023-24](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/uploads/communication/print_server/16469.pdf)
14. [Eurobasket sin fronteras – AS](https://as.com/baloncesto/mas_baloncesto/eurobasket-sin-fronteras-n/)
15. [Shane Larkin resmen Fenerbahçe'de – Habertürk](https://www.haberturk.com/spor/shane-larkin-resmen-fenerbahce-de-3898153)
16. [La carrera por la Euroliga – AS](https://as.com/baloncesto/euroliga/la-carrera-por-la-euroliga-pao-olympiacos-fenerbahce-madrid-el-barca-12-f202609-n/)
17. [Shane Larkin names EuroLeague's best guard rotation – Basketnews](https://basketnews.com/news-252490-shane-larkin-names-euroleague-best-guard-rotation.html)
18. [Shane Larkin and the Silent Debut – GlitchScore](https://www.glitch-network.com/en/basketball/f50e87d0349e434f.html)
19. [Positionless basketball is reshaping EuroLeague – Basketnews](https://basketnews.com/news-244472-positionless-basketball-euroleague-nba-explained.html)
20. [Compare – 6.75 Analytics](https://675hoops.com/compare/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › International league players › European league players and coaches*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license