Two days after their loss to Real Madrid in the EuroLeague opener, Efes used Turkish League competition as a launching pad to bounce back in a big way.

It doesn’t take much time for Shane Larkin to make winning plays for his team. In the case of Efes’ epic 78-77 win over Pinar Karşıyaka on October 10, all he needed was 15 minutes of game time to make a difference.

In the days leading up to the beginning of the 2021-22 season, Shane Larkin has spoken often about the large target pained on Anadolu Efes' back due to their dual championship success last year. It didn't take long for those words to prove prophetic in their Turkish Basketball Super League opener Saturday.

The task ahead of Shane Larkin and Anadolu Efes, to repeat as EuroLeague champions, is a great challenge. Thursday's EL season opener in Madrid was just further proof of that. Fellow championship contender Real Madrid led wire-to-wire in a 82-69 win despite 21 points from Shane Larkin.

There is only one thing more difficult than winning a championship: Doing it again. That's the task facing Shane Larkin and Anadolu Efes as they prepare to tip-off their 2021-22 seasons this week.