Philenews

Erdogan Plays Basketball with Shaquille O'Neal

Published January 20, 2026, 12:28
Erdogan Plays Basketball with Shaquille O'Neal

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan enjoyed a basketball game with NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal at the Basketball Development Center in Istanbul. The meeting and basketball game were publicized by Erdogan himself through a post on the NSosyal social media platform, where he shared photos with a basketball emoji and the Turkish flag. The images show Erdogan and O'Neal exchanging shots, handshakes, and signed balls. During the visit, the two men also posed for photos with students from the development center. Erdogan was accompanied by Ibrahim Kalin, head of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization.