First Turkish athlete revealed to be inducted into FIBA Hall of Fame

(MENAFN) Hidayet Turkoglu, former NBA player and current president of the Turkish Basketball Federation, has been inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame, becoming the first Turkish athlete to receive this distinction.

Turkoglu, 46, had a professional career spanning two decades, representing the Turkish national team, Anadolu Efes, and multiple NBA franchises. He assumed the role of federation president in 2016 following his retirement from active play.

With the national team, Turkoglu secured silver
medals at the 2001 European Championship and the 2010 World Championship, both hosted in Istanbul. He was also named to the All-Tournament Team at the 2010 World Championship, recording averages of 12.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.

During his presidency, Türkiye broke a 15-year medal drought by claiming silver at the European Championship in Riga last year, marking the first time the national team reached the podium outside of Türkiye.

Turkoglu played a pivotal role in Anadolu Efes reaching the EuroLeague Final Four for the first time in the 1999–2000 season, winning five domestic trophies over four years before transitioning to the NBA.

Selected 16th overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2000 NBA Draft, he became the second Turkish player to play in the league after Mirsad Turkcan. Over 15 NBA seasons, Turkoglu played for six different teams, earning the league’s Most Improved Player award in 2008 with the Orlando Magic and helping the team reach the 2009 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.

He participated in 997 regular-season games and 109 playoff games, more than any other Turkish player, and remains the only Turkish athlete to surpass 10,000 points in the NBA, finishing his career with 11,022 points.

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