Ex-Hurricanes star Shane Larkin conquers OCD and becomes beloved superstar in Turkey
In honor of Shane Larkin, fans in Turkey wear wigs as well as his jersey.
Larkin, a 27-year-old former Miami Hurricanes star turned pro basketball phenom in Europe, is so beloved in Istanbul that kids risk their lives to run onto the street, begging just to shake his hand.
“The kids chase his car into traffic,” said Lisa Larkin, Shane’s mom and the wife of Baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkin. “I’ve seen a lot of fans wear Barry’s jersey, but I’ve never witnessed anything like the happiness of those kids who shake Shane’s hand.
“Shane was popular in Miami, but this is unbelievable. They’ve embraced him with the curly afros [wigs]. The coach’s son even dressed up like Shane for Halloween.”
The fact that Larkin shook the hands of those kids says plenty about his love for the Turkish people, and here’s why:
Larkin has OCD — also known as obsessive compulsive disorder — and it’s only recently that he has talked about it publicly. He hadn’t spoken out previously because he was afraid teams wouldn’t want to employ him if they knew his OCD diagnosis.
“The bigger purpose is to bring awareness,” said Larkin, who keeps hand sanitizer in the car so he can — in keeping with his OCD — clean his hands after these interactions with fans.
“I try to help as many people as I can. You’d be surprised by how many people have reached out, asking questions [about OCD]. I’m happy I’ve been able to help people get through similar situations.”
GETTING DIAGNOSED
Larkin grew up with pets in his Orlando home. But, by age 12, something that hadn’t bothered him previously — such as a dog licking his hand — was now an issue.
“Or, if I touched a certain handle, or if my shorts rubbed the ground, it made me feel so uncomfortable that I had to wash my hands or change my entire outfit,” Larkin said. “It became intrusive in my daily life.”
Lisa Larkin recognized her son’s OCD early.
“I have it, too, but mine is about order,” she said. “Barry had never heard of it, but I told him, ‘I think Shane has OCD.’”
Trips to a therapist for a few months helped Shane, but the word “disorder” threw him at first.
“I’m 12 years old,” Shane said, “and I now I have a disorder? I never knew I had a disorder. What’s going on with me?
“But, through therapy, they teach you it’s something you can control. It started to make sense to me, and I knew I wasn’t the only one.”
Julian Gamble, who was Larkin’s teammate at Miami and his roommate on road trips, saw how his friend dealt with germs during their college years.
“He was the best hand-washing person I’ve ever seen,” Gamble said. “The amount of suds he could make from one drop of soap was amazing.”
Larkin said he learned about bacteria years ago, and the lesson never left him. And now, with the Covid-19 pandemic, he feels vindicated.
“It’s ironic – I’ve been acting as if coronavirus has been present for 15 years,” Larkin said. “In elementary school, they taught us that washing hands killed germs. So, I was like, ‘If I wash my hands severely, I will never be sick.’
“That’s where it started.”
WINDING ROAD TO UM
Born in Cincinnati, where his father was a 12-time All-Star for the Reds, Shane tried baseball, getting tips from some of the best, including Pete Rose and Tony Perez.
“Those guys are legends,” Shane said.
Larkin took their tips to the “coach pitch” league in Orlando. His coaches weren’t impressed, and changed his stance, which led to a slump and Larkin quitting baseball at age six.
Basketball, a sport where Larkin felt free, was a better fit, and he ended up becoming a two-time All-State player at Orlando’s Dr. Phillips High, setting the school record for steals while averaging 18.8 points and 6.3 assists.
Larkin signed with DePaul on April 30, 2011, but he quickly left the school, a decision he said centered around his OCD diagnosis and its related “stress, anxiety and panic attacks.”
Jim Larranaga, who had been hired by UM on April 22, 2011, had tried to sign Larkin for his previous school, George Mason, and that gave him an edge on the transfer market.
“He had visited George Mason, and he saw that our locker room was spotless,” Larranaga said. “My program has always had locker rooms that were neat and clean.”
Given Larkin’s OCD, that was a critical factor. In addition, Miami had an available scholarship, a need for a point guard and a campus near Larkin’s home in Orlando.
Everything lined up. In August, Miami signed Larkin, who became one of the greatest players in program history.
As a sophomore, Larkin was the ACC Player of the Year. That season, he led Miami to its first ACC titles — regular season and tournament — and the Hurricanes advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, tied for the furthest advance in school history.
That Miami team beat top-ranked Duke by 27 points and also defeated North Carolina in front of Heat stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
Larkin was the star of all that success.
“Ever since he was in high school, I thought Shane had a chance to be an NBA point guard,” Larranaga said. “I thought he was that talented, athletic and skilled.”
OFF TO THE PROS
Larkin left for the NBA following that sophomore season, and he was drafted in the first round in 2013, 18th overall.
But after brief stints with the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics, Larkin bolted for Europe, first Spain and then Turkey.
It was in Turkey, playing for Anadolu Efes in the 2018-2019 season, that Larkin’s pro career finally took off. Larkin was named the MVP of Turkey’s top league, leading Efes to its first championship in 10 years.
Then, on Nov. 29, 2019, Larkin scored 49 points against Bayern Munich, setting a single-game record for the modern EuroLeague.
In July, he became a Turkish citizen, which will allow him to potentially play for Turkey’s Olympic team in 2021.
“It was a basketball decision for the most part,” Larkin said of his dual USA/Turkey citizenship. “There are certain rules that you can only play five foreigners in a certain game, or two. So now I don’t count as one of those foreigners.
“But a huge part was also the amount of love I’ve gained for the people of Turkey. They took me in and made me feel comfortable.”
Part of his comfort is that this is the first time in his pro career that he has played for the same team in consecutive years.
During basketball season, Larkin lives in the heart of Istanbul, near the water, great restaurants and parks.
He’s not fluent in Turkish, but …
“I can understand it a bit,” he said. “I can get around.”
Basketball is Larkin’s true language, and he has become fluent in the European version, which is at a level higher than college ball but below the NBA. The European game is also slower than American ball, fewer possessions, more team oriented and extra passes.
“The way they play in Europe is a better way to play, and it’s really captured my heart,” said Larkin, who plans to return to Turkey in mid-September. “There’s also a lot of passion for basketball. If you go to a rivalry game in Europe, when one team loses, their fans are ready to fight. It’s like Duke-Carolina.”
As for the NBA …
“It’s more satisfying to me to have a real role [in Turkey],” Larkin said. “As a third guard in the NBA, you may play five or 10 minutes. You may make a little impact, but you’re not the guy who swings the game in one direction or another.
“I think of myself as a big-time player. If somebody gives me a real opportunity, I would go back to the NBA, no problem. But it’s not about money. It’s about opportunity.”