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Ersan İlyasova facts for kids

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Ersan İlyasova
Ersan Ilyasova (34041818796) (cropped).jpg
İlyasova with the Atlanta Hawks in 2017
Personal information
Born (1987-05-15) 15 May 1987 (age 38)
Eskişehir, Turkey
Listed height 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight 235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft 2005 / Round: 2 / Pick: 36th overall
Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks
Pro career 2003–2021
Career history
2003–2004 Yeşilyurt
2004–2005 Ülkerspor
2005–2007 Milwaukee Bucks
2005–2006 Tulsa 66ers
2007–2009 FC Barcelona
2009–2015 Milwaukee Bucks
2011 Anadolu Efes
2015–2016 Detroit Pistons
2016 Orlando Magic
2016 Oklahoma City Thunder
2016–2017 Philadelphia 76ers
2017–2018 Atlanta Hawks
2018 Philadelphia 76ers
2018–2020 Milwaukee Bucks
2021 Utah Jazz
Career highlights and awards
  • Liga ACB champion (2009)
  • Spanish Supercup champion (2009)
  • FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship MVP (2006)
  • Turkish Cup champion (2005)
  • Albert Schweitzer Tournament MVP (2004)
Career NBA statistics
Points 8,364 (10.1 ppg)
Rebounds 4,661 (5.6 rpg)
Assists 908 (1.1 apg)
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing Turkey Turkey
FIBA World Championship
Silver 2010 Turkey

Ersan İlyasova (born May 15, 1987) is a former professional basketball player from Turkey. He played for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A big part of his career, 9 seasons, was spent with the Milwaukee Bucks. He also played basketball in Turkey, Spain, and the NBA Development League.

Ersan İlyasova's Basketball Journey

Starting His Career in Turkey

Ersan İlyasova began his professional basketball journey in Turkey. He played for a team called Yeşilyurt during the 2003–04 season. This was in Turkey's second-tier league.

The next season, 2004–05, he moved up to the Turkish Basketball League. He joined Ülkerspor. While there, he averaged about 4.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

Joining the NBA: Milwaukee Bucks (First Time)

In 2005, Ersan was picked by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2005 NBA draft. He was the 36th player chosen overall. In July 2005, he joined the Bucks for the NBA Summer League. He officially signed with the team on August 22, 2005.

Later that year, he was sent to the Tulsa 66ers. This team was part of the NBA Development League. He spent the entire 2005–06 season there. He played 46 games, averaging 12.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

Ersan made his first NBA appearance for the Bucks on November 1, 2006. This was in a game where the Bucks won against the Detroit Pistons. During the 2006–07 season, he played 66 games for the Bucks. He averaged 6.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.

Playing in Spain: FC Barcelona

ErsanIlyasova
İlyasova playing for FC Barcelona in 2009

On July 18, 2007, Ersan signed a two-year contract with FC Barcelona. This team plays in the Liga ACB in Spain. In 2009, he helped Barcelona win a championship.

Back to the NBA: Milwaukee Bucks (Second Time)

In July 2009, Ersan signed a new contract to return to the Milwaukee Bucks. He played for them again for several years.

Playing During the NBA Lockout

In 2011, there was a temporary stop in NBA games called a "lockout." During this time, Ersan signed with Anadolu Efes. This is another team in the Turkish Basketball League. He played for them until the NBA lockout ended.

Big Moments with the Bucks

In December 2011, Ersan returned to the Bucks after the lockout. On February 19, 2012, he had an amazing game against the New Jersey Nets. He scored 29 points and grabbed 25 rebounds. This was a career-high for him in both categories. He became only the third Bucks player ever to get at least 25 points and 25 rebounds in one game. The other two were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Swen Nater. This kind of game hadn't happened for over 35 years!

Because of his great play, he won the "Player of the Week" award in March 2012. On July 12, 2012, he signed another multi-year deal with the Bucks.

In March 2014, he had to stop playing for the rest of the 2013–14 season. This was due to an injury to his right ankle. On March 26, 2015, Ersan scored a career-high 34 points. This helped the Bucks win a game against the Indiana Pacers.

Moving Around the NBA

Ersan İlyasova played for several other NBA teams after his time with the Bucks.

  • Detroit Pistons (2015–2016): On June 11, 2015, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons. He played his first game for them on October 27, scoring 16 points.
  • Orlando Magic (2016): On February 16, 2016, he was traded to the Orlando Magic. He debuted with them the next day, scoring 16 points.
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (2016): On June 23, 2016, Ersan was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He played in three games for them at the start of the 2016–17 season.
  • Philadelphia 76ers (2016–2017): On November 1, 2016, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. He had some strong games, scoring 23 points multiple times. On January 29, 2017, he scored a season-high 31 points.
  • Atlanta Hawks (2017–2018): On February 22, 2017, Ersan was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. He re-signed with them in July 2017 but was later waived in February 2018.
  • Philadelphia 76ers (Second Time) (2018): He returned to the Philadelphia 76ers on February 28, 2018, for a second time.
  • Milwaukee Bucks (Third Time) (2018–2020): On July 16, 2018, Ersan signed with the Milwaukee Bucks again. This was his third time playing for the team. In December 2018, he had surgery for a fractured nose. He was waived by the Bucks in November 2020.
  • Utah Jazz (2021): On March 11, 2021, Ersan signed with the Utah Jazz. On April 17, he scored a season-high 20 points in a game.
  • Chicago Bulls (2021): On December 22, 2021, Ersan signed a 10-day contract with the Chicago Bulls. However, he did not play for them before his contract ended.

Playing for His Country: Turkey National Team

Savanović & İlyasova
İlyasova (right) with the Turkey national team in September 2010

Before joining the senior Turkey national basketball team, Ersan was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2006 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship. He led Turkey's junior team to win a silver medal in İzmir.

Since then, Ersan has played for Turkey in many important international tournaments. These include the 2006 FIBA World Championship, 2010 FIBA World Championship, and several EuroBasket championships.

Ersan's Family Life

Ersan İlyasova's parents, Anvar and Iraliye İlyasova, are Crimean Tatars. This is an ethnic group from Crimea. Ersan is married to Julia, who is from Belarus. They have two daughters and one son. All their children were born in Milwaukee, where Ersan played for many years. Ersan is a Muslim.

A Note on His Background

There has been some discussion about Ersan's age and where he was born. Some people claimed he might have been born in Uzbekistan in 1984, not Turkey in 1987. However, FIBA, the international basketball organization, looked into this. They officially decided that Ersan is a Turkish citizen and his birth details are as registered.

Career Statistics

Ersan İlyasova had a long and successful career. He played many games and achieved impressive statistics in both the NBA and EuroLeague.

Images for kids

See also

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