Mirsad Türkcan

Mirsad Türkcan (see names)[a] (born June 7, 1976) is a Turkish former professional basketball player of Bosniak origin. Standing at a height of 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), he played at the power forward position. A three-time All-EuroLeague Team member, he is also the fifth best rebounder in the EuroLeague, since the year 2000, with 1,287 total rebounds.[1]

Mirsad Türkcan
Türkcan with Fenerbahçe, in 2012.
Personal information
Born (1976-06-07) June 7, 1976
Novi Pazar, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
NationalityTurkish / Serbian
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
NBA draft1998 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18th overall
Selected by the Houston Rockets
Playing career1994–2012
PositionPower forward
Number6, 16
Career history
1994–1999Efes Pilsen
1999–2000New York Knicks
2000Milwaukee Bucks
2000–2001Paris Basket Racing
2001–2002CSKA Moscow
2002–2003Montepaschi Siena
2003–2004CSKA Moscow
2004–2005Dynamo Moscow
2005–2006Ülkerspor
2006–2012Fenerbahçe
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Turkey
FIBA EuroBasket
2001 Turkey

Born in Novi Pazar, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia as Mirsad Jahović, he moved to play basketball in Turkey. At the same time, he also obtained Turkish citizenship, and started playing international basketball with the senior Turkish national team. In 1999, he became the first Turkish basketball player to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).[2]

In the EuroLeague, Türkcan amassed total of 50 double doubles, and is one of only three players since the year 2000, to record a 20-point, 20-rebound game (27 points and 23 rebounds). He led the EuroLeague in rebounding five times.[3] He was nominated for the EuroLeague 2001–10 All-Decade Team, but he did not make the final list. He became a EuroLeague Legend in 2017.[4][5]

Professional career

Early years

Türkcan grew up with Efes Pilsen's junior teams, and he made his professional debut with the Efes Pilsen senior men's team, during the 1994–95 season.[6] He won two Turkish Super League championships, in the 1995–96 and 1996–97 seasons with Efes.

NBA

Türkcan was selected by the Houston Rockets in the 1998 NBA Draft. A few days after the draft night, he said in an interview: "This is a big step for me, but I played in Turkey, and I am the first Turkish player to come into the NBA. This is very important for me, for my family, and for my country."[7] Because of the 1998–99 NBA lockout, he returned to Istanbul, continuing to play for Efes Pilsen.[8] Later, his rights were traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, in January 1999, and then to the New York Knicks, in March. He eventually signed with the Knicks, and debuted in the 1999–00 season, in which he played in only 7 games. After being waived in February 2000, he finished his NBA adventure by playing 10 games for the Milwaukee Bucks.[9]

Return to Europe

In January 2001, Türkcan moved to France, signing for the remainder of the season with Paris Basket Racing.[10] He then signed a contract with the Russian club CSKA Moscow, for the 2001–02 season. He signed a contract with the Italian club Montepaschi Siena, for the 2002–03 season. He moved back to Russia for the 2003–04 season, being again signed by CSKA Moscow. Türkcan then played with Dynamo Moscow of the Russian Championship, in the 2004–05 season.

In the summer of 2006, he signed a contract with the Turkish team Fenerbahçe. During the EuroLeague 2008–09 season, he became the first basketball player to amass at least 1,000 total rebounds in the EuroLeague, since the start of the 2000–01 season.[11][12][13] In the summer of 2009, he extended his contract with the Turkish club for the next two seasons.[14] In February 2011, Türkcan ruptured the anterior cruciate ligaments in his left knee, during the Turkish Cup final, and because of that, he missed the rest of the season.[15]

In July 2012, it was reported that Türkcan would announce his retirement, after 19 years of playing professional basketball.[16] Türkcan ended his playing career with a farewell exhibition game, in September 2012.[17]

Career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  PIR  Performance Index Rating
 Bold  Career high

Note: The EuroLeague is not the only competition in which the player participated for the team during the season. He also played in domestic competition, and regional competition if applicable.

Led the league

EuroLeague
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2001–02 CSKA Moscow 171533.6.517.333.70912.82.11.21.217.625.8
2002–03 Montepaschi 212135.6.520.473.70711.82.12.1.814.624.0
2003–04 CSKA Moscow 201825.6.443.245.68110.41.1.8.39.917.4
2005–06 Ülkerspor 161129.7.451.320.7688.91.51.4.511.717.3
2006–07 Fenerbahçe 111025.9.419.231.7509.21.11.2.68.114.5
2007–08 Fenerbahçe 12727.2.436.241.7939.21.3.6.89.814.7
2008–09 Fenerbahçe 141127.4.489.513.8338.61.1.6.415.419.4
2009–10 Fenerbahçe 1010.3.250.000.0002.0.0.0.02.0.0
2010–11 Fenerbahçe 12021.0.474.361.4007.3.8.8.27.911.8
2011–12 Fenerbahçe 5016.8.316.2001.0009.61.0.4.03.49.6
Career 1299328.3.474.345.72610.01.41.1.611.818.3

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1999–00 New York 703.6.200.000.0001.4.1.3.0.6
1999–00 Milwaukee 1006.5.429.000.6252.3.4.1.12.9
Career 1705.3.368.000.6251.9.3.2.11.9

Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1999–00 Milwaukee 205.0.200.0001.0001.0.0.0.02.0
Career 205.0.200.0001.0001.0.0.0.02.0

National team career

Türkcan was a member of the senior Turkish national team that won the silver medal at the EuroBasket 2001. He also played with Turkey's senior national team at the following major international tournaments: the EuroBasket 1995, the EuroBasket 1997, the EuroBasket 1999, the 2002 FIBA World Championship, the EuroBasket 2003, and the EuroBasket 2005.

Personal life

Mirsad Jahović was born in Novi Pazar, Serbia. He is known for various philanthropic and humanitarian activities in his hometown. His sister, Emina Jahović, is a pop singer, and the former wife of singer Mustafa Sandal. Türkcan is known to have financially helped jump start her recording career.

On December 18, 2005, Mirsad married then 19-year-old Dina Džanković, his girlfriend of the time of five months, and the 2005 Miss Serbia and Montenegro.[18] They have three children together; two girls, Naba and Karia, and a boy, Nusret.[19] The couple divorced in 2012.[20] In 2015, Mirsad married Dušica Drljević, who gave birth to their son, Rejjan Mete, the same year.

Awards and accomplishments

Professional career

Individual

Notes
a.   ^ Serbian spelling: Мирсад Туркџан, Mirsad Turkdžan. He was born as Мирсад Јаховић, Mirsad Jahović.

References
  1. Statistics.
  2. "Rockets rookie will be first Turkish NBA player". sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Associated Press. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  3. "EUROLEAGUE ALL-DECADE CANDIDATE: Mirsad Turkcan". EuroLeague.
  4. Mirsad Turkcan honored as Euroleague Basketball Legend.
  5. Mirsad Turkcan honored as Euroleague Basketball Legend.
  6. "Turkcan, Mirsad Profile". Euroleague.
  7. "Mirsad Turkcan". Draft Spotlight. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  8. "Mirsad Turkcan returning home to Efes Pilsen". hurriyetdailynews.com. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  9. Isola, Frank. "You Can Waive Goodbye To Turkcan". articles.nydailynews.com. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  10. "TURKCAN à PARIS !!!". bleublancturc.com. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  11. http://www.burakcelik.com/. "Mirsad writes his name on Euroleague history". Fenerbahce.org. Retrieved 2014-08-08.
  12. "Türkcan makes Euroleague history, Fener routs Roma". sundayszaman.com. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  13. "Mirsad Turkcan pulls 1000th rebound!". EuroLeague. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  14. "Mirsad Turkcan renews with Fenerbahce". talkbasket.net. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  15. "FB Ulker loses Turkcan for season, re-call Mahalbasic". Sportando. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  16. "Mirsad Turkcan will announce his retirement on July 21". Sportando. Salsabasket. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  17. "Rebounding king Turkcan to play farewell game". EuroLeague. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  18. "Kurir, December 17, 2005". Arhiva.kurir-info.rs. Retrieved 2014-08-08.
  19. (in Turkish)Mirsad Türkcan 3. kez baba oldu
  20. Razveli se Mirsad Turkdžan i Dina Džanković!;January 2012
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