Cemal Nalga

Cemal Nalga — Biography

Standing 2.08 meters tall and playing center, Cemal Nalga is a Turkish basketball player who has played for many clubs and was part of the national squad that won gold at the 2013 Mediterranean Games. In the later part of his career he played for Balıkesir Büyükşehir Belediyespor in the Turkish Basketball First League.

Nalga started out at İzmirspor, moved to Tuborg Pilsener before the 2003-04 season and made his Turkish Basketball League debut that year. He signed with Galatasaray ahead of 2006-07, a spell overshadowed by a 2009 disciplinary case: after receiving a five-game ban, he was found to have played in friendlies during the suspension wearing a teammate's shirt and name, and the Turkish Basketball Federation's disciplinary board banned him for two years. He continued in Germany with ALBA Berlin, playing in the EuroCup, and then had a EuroLeague experience with Lietuvos Rytas in 2010-11. He joined Banvit in 2011-12 and Beşiktaş in December 2012, reaching the EuroLeague Top 16. He then played for Türk Telekom, Pınar Karşıyaka, İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor, Eskişehir Basket, Bahçeşehir Koleji, Afyon Belediyespor and Petkim Spor before moving to Balıkesir in 2020.

His international record began with silver at the 2005 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. He won bronze with the B national team at the 2009 Mediterranean Games and was called up to the senior side's EuroBasket candidate squad in June 2009, but was removed from it because of an injury.