Armando Bacot, a former forward for the Memphis Grizzlies, took a career leap by choosing to sign with the Turkish team Fenerbahçe Istanbul for this season. Bacot, who went undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft, received an offer from the Charlotte Hornets this offseason but turned it down to play in the Euroleague.In an interview with Eurohoops, Bacot explained that Fenerbahce's head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius pushed him to sign with the team as their discussion went so well that he swayed his mind about returning to the NBA. He even called his decision a "no-brainer."“Early in the summer, I got offers from a couple of EuroLeague teams, not Fenerbahce though, and I intended to sign with the Charlotte Hornets,” Bacot, who is just 25 years old, said.“But Fenerbahce called me. I got a chance to talk with the coach Saras and with some people who play here and have been around this atmosphere. I liked what they said, and it was a no-brainer.” View this post on Instagram Instagram PostJasikevicius has been considered a legend in the Lithuanian basketball scene, playing for 15 years with Lithuania's national team, before transitioning to being a head coach in the Euroleague. He led Fenerbahçe to the Euroleague championship last year, while becoming the 2025 Coach of the Year. He also played for the Indiana Pacers in the NBA from 2005 to 2007. Coming off his graduation from North Carolina, Bacot had an Exhibit 10 contract with the Grizzlies, but only played for the team's G-League affiliate, Memphis Hustle, in the entirety of the 2024-2025 NBA season. In the G-League, Bacot was an effective offensive player, averaging 18.2 points and 9.5 rebounds in 34 games with the Hustle. Bacot said he wants to learn under Jasikevicius, prompting him to sign with Fenerbahçe. "Just knowing coach Saras and just how legendary he is, it was something I definitely want to be a part of,” he said. Armando Bacot explains the difference in American and European practicesHaving already experienced the American and European practices, Amando Bacot contrasted the two styles of training. According to Bacot, European practices tend to be harder than the American ones, which he believed would push him even harder. “They’ve been hard, definitely a lot harder than in America in terms of how hard we go in practice and every little detail matters, but overall it’ll improve me a lot as a player,” he said.The Euroleague season will start on Sept. 25, with numerous former NBA players involved in this year's tournament.