Tugce Canitez’s roommates at Westmont College hung a big Turkish flag on the wall, their way of saying they wanted her to feel comfortable 7,000 miles from her hometown, the port city of Izmir.
It’s not all that different, Canitez said. “The beach, the weather — it’s the same in Turkey and California.” And there’s one place where she is totally familiar with the surroundings: the basketball court at Murchison Gym. Basketball is a thriving sport in her country. A half-dozen active NBA players, notably Hedo Türkoğlu of the Orlando Magic and Mehmet Okur of the Utah Jazz, hail from Turkey.
“I like watching them,” Canitez said. “I am happy the lockout is over. Yay, I can watch the NBA soon!”