Former NBA player and Turkish Basketball Federation President Hidayet Türkoğlu has been inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame, making him the first Turkish athlete to receive the honor.
Türkoğlu, 46, enjoyed a 20-year professional career with the Turkish national team, Anadolu Efes, and several NBA teams. He has been president of the Turkish Basketball Federation since 2016, following his retirement from playing.
With the Turkish national team, Türkoğlu won silver medals at the 2001 European Championship and the 2010 World Championship, both of which were held in Istanbul. He was named to the All-Tournament Team at the 2010 World Championship, averaging 12.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.
During his tenure as federation president, Türkiye ended a 15-year medal drought by winning silver at the European Championship in Riga last year, marking the national team's first podium finish outside of Türkiye.
He played a key role in Anadolu Efes becoming the first Turkish club to reach the EuroLeague final four in the 1999-2000 season, winning five domestic trophies in four years before moving to the NBA.
Selected 16th overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2000 NBA Draft, Türkoğlu became the second Turkish player to compete in the league after Mirsad Turkcan.
Türkoğlu played 15 seasons in the NBA, representing six teams. He was named the league's Most Improved Player in 2008 while playing for the Orlando Magic, and he helped the team reach the NBA finals in 2009, where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.
He appeared in 997 regular-season games and 109 playoff games, the most by any Turkish player, and remains the only Turkish player to have scored more than 10,000 NBA points, finishing his career with 11,022.
Türkoğlu has also overseen the opening of the Turkcell Basketball Development Centre, a multi-purpose complex that houses Türkiye's first basketball high school.
The FIBA Hall of Fame recognizes players, coaches, and contributors who have made a significant contribution to the global development of basketball.
This year's inductees also include Sue Bird of the US, Celine Dumerc of France, Clarisse Machanguana of Mozambique, Dirk Nowitzki of Germany, Ismenia Pauchard of Chile, Wang Zhizhi of China, and Ludwik Mietta-Mikolajevicz of Poland.
Members of the Class of 2026 will be honored at an enshrinement ceremony on April 21 in Berlin, Germany.
