SAHA | Kemal Tunçeri | TEDxITU

Introduction

• The speaker expresses gratitude for being invited to speak and acknowledges the significance of İTÜ for him, having played for the team for four years.
• He plans to share three important milestones in his life, using examples and humor.

Basketball Journey

• The speaker's introduction to basketball came from his father, a former national athlete, and they were surrounded by basketball memorabilia and stories growing up.
• The speaker and his brother, Kerem Tunçeri, began their basketball journey at Galatasaray's newly established facilities.
• Despite his father's suggestion to pursue football, the speaker's father ultimately encouraged them to follow their own interests and abilities.
• After this pivotal moment, the speaker and his brother embarked on their basketball careers, joining Galatasaray's youth team and beginning their training.

Struggles and Perseverance

• The speaker highlights the contrast between his own well-equipped appearance and his brother's more modest attire, emphasizing the importance of making wise investments.
• The speaker talks about his struggles in basketball despite his passion for the sport.
• He mentions his time in the youth team, where he rarely got to play due to his physical disadvantages.
• After not making it to the main team, he was loaned to a second division team called Netaş.
• At Netaş, he faced intense competition and initially struggled to get playing time.
• Despite the challenges, he persevered and eventually got his chance due to injuries to other players.
• The speaker reflects on the importance of being prepared and taking advantage of opportunities when they arise.

Turning Point and Success

• The speaker reflects on a crucial moment in his basketball career when he almost gave up due to lack of opportunities.
• Despite facing challenges and setbacks, he persevered and eventually received a life-changing phone call from Ergin Ataman, who offered him a spot on the Türk Telekom team.
• Joining Türk Telekom marked a turning point in his career, leading to an impressive winning streak and eventually a spot on the national team.

Expertise and Dedication

• The speaker emphasizes the importance of self-discovery and developing unique skills, rather than relying solely on hard work and determination.
• The speaker talks about the amount of effort and dedication required to become an expert in a field, using basketball as an example.
• They mention that to become a good surgeon, one needs to perform a certain number of surgeries and gain experience.
• The speaker emphasizes that becoming a master in any field requires reaching certain milestones and putting in a significant amount of work.
• They provide specific examples from their own basketball career, such as the number of games played, practices attended, shots taken, and weight lifted.
• The speaker also mentions the physical toll that pursuing excellence can take, such as injuries and the number of stitches they received.
• They reflect on their journey and the sacrifices they made to achieve their goal of playing for the national team, which was their father's dream.

Conclusion

• The speaker concludes that true happiness comes from personal relationships and starting a new chapter in life, as they did with their two daughters.
• Do things with love and happiness.
• Stay happy and loving.
• Thank you for listening to me.