From injury to victory: the transformation of Tansu Aksoy
Today, Tansu Aksoy is captain of the Turkish national NBA 2K team, a European champion, and former runner-up at the Games of the Future. And in just a few weeks, he'll take to the court at Phygital Contenders 2026 Astana with his new team, Arena Bulls, hoping to secure a place at this summer’s Games of the Future.
It is a remarkable turnaround for a gifted player who once thought he would never compete at an elite level again. An Achilles injury suddenly derailed his professional career, but rather than give up, he decided to pivot.
He had already been playing esport basketball at a near-professional level and, finding himself with a lot more free time after surgery, decided to dedicate himself to his new passion. This eventually led to a contract with a professional esports team.
“It was one of the best moments of my life,” he says now. “I would say it's 50% luck and 50% the effort you put into your practice – taking care of yourself mentally and your body physically.”
He has previously participated in the GOTF 2024 as a member of team R10, who were runners-up, and at GOTF 2025 with team Great Team Brazil, who made it to the last eight. He looks back on those teams and those tournaments with great affection.
"It was a really good experience for me to represent R10 and Great Team Brazil. They are like a family to me, and we had real quality times together. Hopefully with Arena Bulls, we will go further and do better on both the physical and digital courts."
The transition from traditional sports to esports, however, was not immediately understood by his family or his friends. Nor was his move into phygital.
"At first they didn't understand what was going on" he remembers. "But when they started watching and saw that it was just a different aspect of basketball, they recognized my talent for it and respected it quite a lot."
Having lots of experience of the physical game from his years as a pro basketball player, and having dominated the digital courts as a captain of the Turkish national NBA 2K team, few athletes are as qualified as Tansu to answer the biggest question in phygital sports – which matters more, the digital or the physical part?
"Well, it depends on who I’m guarding of course,” he laughs. “It’s complicated. I’ve had really good matchups in real life, but depending on the gameplay, there are also really talented esports players in the virtual world."
For young athletes who are forced to leave traditional sports due to injuries, Tansu has a clear message: "Phygital is growing worldwide, and in the coming years, there will be even more opportunities and potential. So, I most definitely tell them to look ahead ,whatever their situation, and seek out new options and paths."
On Turkey's future in the phygital movement, Tansu is equally direct. "There has to be much greater knowledge about what's happening,” he says. “People need to understand and watch what is going on. It is really important for phygital to be widely known."
Tansu Aksoy's journey is proof that an ending in physical sports doesn't have to be the end ofall sporting competition. When he takes to the court in Phygital Contenders, he will be a strong reminder that life is full of second chances.
He won’t just be playing for a trophy either – he's playing for everyone who's ever been told their game is over.
