Hedo Türkoğlu facts for kids
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Türkoğlu in 2025
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
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| Born | March 19, 1979 Gaziosmanpaşa, Istanbul, Turkey |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2000 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16th overall | ||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Sacramento Kings | |||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1996–2015 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2000 | Efes Pilsen | ||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2003 | Sacramento Kings | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | San Antonio Spurs | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2009 | Orlando Magic | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Toronto Raptors | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Phoenix Suns | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2014 | Orlando Magic | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Los Angeles Clippers | ||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | |||||||||||||||||
| Points | 11,022 (11.1 ppg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 3,971 (4.0 rpg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Assists | 2,832 (2.8 apg) | ||||||||||||||||
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Hidayet "Hedo" Türkoğlu (born March 19, 1979) is a Turkish basketball leader and former professional player. He is very tall, standing at 6 feet 10 inches. Hedo played as a forward for six different teams. His career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) lasted 15 seasons.
He won the NBA's Most Improved Player award in the 2007–08 season. Hedo also helped the Orlando Magic reach the NBA Finals in 2009. He played for Turkey's national team in international games. Since October 2016, Türkoğlu has been the president of the Turkish Basketball Federation.
Contents
- Hedo's Basketball Journey
- Starting in Turkey: Efes Pilsen (1996–2000)
- Joining the NBA: Sacramento Kings (2000–2003)
- A Short Stop: San Antonio Spurs (2003–2004)
- Becoming a Star: Orlando Magic (2004–2009)
- Moving to Toronto: Toronto Raptors (2009–2010)
- A Quick Stop: Phoenix Suns (2010)
- Back to Orlando (2010–2014)
- Final NBA Team: Los Angeles Clippers (2014–2015)
- Playing for His Country: International Career
- After Playing Basketball
- Hedo's Family Life
- Images for kids
- See also
Hedo's Basketball Journey
Starting in Turkey: Efes Pilsen (1996–2000)
Hedo Türkoğlu began his professional career in 1996. He joined a team called Efes Pilsen in Turkey. He played with them for four seasons.
During his time there, he scored an average of 8.4 points per game. He helped his team reach the 2000 EuroLeague Final Four. In that tournament, he averaged 13.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.
Joining the NBA: Sacramento Kings (2000–2003)
In 2000, Hedo was chosen by the Sacramento Kings in the NBA draft. He was the 16th player picked overall. This made him the first player born in Turkey to ever play in the NBA.
He played alongside other famous European players. These included Vlade Divac and Peja Stojaković. In the 2001–02 season, he averaged 10.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He even received votes for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.
A Short Stop: San Antonio Spurs (2003–2004)
In 2003, Türkoğlu was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. He played one season with the Spurs. During this time, he averaged 9.2 points per game. He also shot a career-best 42 percent from the three-point line.
Becoming a Star: Orlando Magic (2004–2009)
Hedo joined the Orlando Magic in 2004. He had some amazing games there. He scored a career-high 39 points twice. Once was against the Toronto Raptors in April 2007. The other was against the Washington Wizards in March 2008.
On April 28, 2008, Hedo was named the NBA's Most Improved Player. This award is given to a player who shows the most improvement in a season. The Magic won 52 games that season. Hedo had his best averages in points (19.5), rebounds (5.7), and assists (5.0). He started all 82 games that season.
In the 2008–09 season, Hedo helped the Magic reach the NBA Finals. This was the first time for the team since 1995. He led the Magic in scoring during the Finals, with 18.0 points per game. However, they lost the series to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.
Moving to Toronto: Toronto Raptors (2009–2010)
On July 9, 2009, Türkoğlu was traded to the Toronto Raptors. This was part of a big trade involving four teams. He played for the Raptors for one season.
A Quick Stop: Phoenix Suns (2010)
On July 14, 2010, Hedo was traded again. This time, he went to the Phoenix Suns. He played only a short time with this team.
Back to Orlando (2010–2014)
On December 18, 2010, Türkoğlu was traded back to the Orlando Magic. He played for them until 2014. In February 2013, Hedo had a temporary break from playing. This was due to a rule violation. He said he received medicine in Turkey that he did not know contained a banned substance.
On January 3, 2014, the Magic let Hedo go from the team. He did not play for them in the 2013–14 season.
Final NBA Team: Los Angeles Clippers (2014–2015)
On January 16, 2014, Türkoğlu signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. He played for them for the rest of the 2013–14 season. He made his debut on January 18. He re-signed with the Clippers in September 2014. He played his last NBA season with them.
Playing for His Country: International Career
Hedo Türkoğlu was an important player for the Turkish national basketball team. He helped his team win a silver medal at EuroBasket 2001. He scored an average of 15.5 points per game in that tournament.
In 2010, Hedo played in the 2010 FIBA World Championship. This tournament was held in his home country of Turkey. The Turkish team won the silver medal. They beat every team except for Team USA, who were the champions. Hedo averaged 12.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.
In March 2014, Türkoğlu decided to retire from playing international basketball.
After Playing Basketball
On November 13, 2015, Hedo Türkoğlu announced he was retiring from playing in the NBA. He had played for 15 seasons. After retiring, he was chosen to be the CEO of the Turkish Basketball Federation.
In March 2016, it was reported that the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, appointed Hedo as one of his senior advisers. This means Hedo helps advise the President.
Hedo's Family Life
Hedo Türkoğlu was born on March 19, 1979, in Istanbul, Turkey. His parents are from a group called Bosniaks. They were born in a village in North Macedonia. Hedo can speak Bosnian very well. He is also a Muslim. His parents moved from Serbia to Turkey. They changed their last name to Türkoğlu, which means "Turkish son." He also speaks Serbian fluently.
Hedo and his wife, Banu, have two daughters. Their first daughter was born in February 2009. Their second daughter was born in April 2013.
Images for kids
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Türkoğlu in 2025
See also
In Spanish: Hidayet Türkoğlu para niños
