The reasons for sports fandom can develop in a number of different ways.
Maybe you grew up in a city with a passionate fan base. Perhaps your dad or older brother was a massive fan of a team, and you followed suit. Or, maybe you didn't like one single team. Instead, you focused your attention on a player.
In the case of UCLA incoming freshman Berke Buyuktuncel, casually watching the NBA Finals led to a Google search -- which opened up a whole new world to an unknown entity called 'UCLA".
In a fantastic interview with David Woods of BruinReportOnline, the esteemed UCLA journalist sat down over Zoom with Buyuktuncel -- the highly-touted incoming freshman forward out of Turkey.
A number of topics were touched upon, including the story behind how Buyuktuncel became interested in UCLA in the first place. It's not too often to see multiple European prospects included in one Division 1 recruiting class (let alone four in UCLA's case). Fascinatingly enough, Buyuktuncel singled out a former UCLA star player as the genesis for his interest in the program:
"You remember the 2016 Finals? Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State? I watched Kevin Love because he's in my position. So I searched some background stories, and I look at him like, 'Yo, he's a UCLA player.' First time when I see the whole picture like that, the UCLA picture is because of Kevin Love. I start searching it. It was a great campus, a great team, great studies, great city. And it was in Los Angeles."
- Buyuktuncel per David Woods of BruinReportOnline
Buyuktuncel is a very talented forward with a multi-faceted skill set. At roughly 6-foot-9 and 215 pounds, he has the versatility to toggle between the three and four spots. He's a crafty player off the dribble, though can also space the floor from three-point range.
Arguably one of his best qualities is his competitiveness on both ends of the floor. Being able to defend at a high level (with a big wingspan) certainly will excite head coach Mick Cronin.
Buyuktuncel -- who will arrive on campus September 5th -- further delved into his idolization of Love:
"The court vision, it is great. I like how Kevin Love plays. He's not an athletic guy, [but] he can pass, he can shoot, he can distribute the ball. He knows how to play. My playing style is a little bit similar to that but more mobile. [I'm not] a direct four or five."
- Buyuktuncel on Kevin Love (per David Woods of BruinReportOnline)
It would be a pretty significant surprise if Buyuktuncel isn't a member of UCLA's starting five by the time the regular season rolls around. Based on his charismatic personality and style of play, he should be an immediate fan favorite in Westwood.
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