Mirsad Türkcan

Mirsad Türkcan — Biography

Mirsad Türkcan, born Mirsad Jahović, is a 2.06 m power forward who holds the title of first Turkish player in the NBA and who for years ranked at the top of the EuroLeague's rebounding lists. He reached 1,287 total rebounds in the EuroLeague, was named to the All-EuroLeague Team three times and became a EuroLeague Legend in 2017. Afterwards he moved into football agency work.

Born in Novi Pazar, Türkcan came to Turkey for basketball, took Turkish citizenship and adopted the surname Türkcan. He came up through Efes Pilsen's junior teams, began his professional career with the senior side in 1994-95, and won the league in 1995-96 and 1996-97 and the Korać Cup in 1996. The Houston Rockets picked him in the 1998 NBA draft; the lockout kept him at Efes, and his rights passed to the 76ers and then the Knicks. In 1999-2000 he played seven games for the Knicks and ten for the Milwaukee Bucks. From 2001 he wore the colors of Paris Basket Racing, CSKA Moscow, Montepaschi Siena and Dynamo Moscow, and won the Russian league in 2004.

He returned to Turkey with Fenerbahçe Ülker and was league champion in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011; he became the first player to reach a thousand EuroLeague rebounds and led the competition in rebounding five times. He was the EuroLeague regular-season MVP in 2002. Fenerbahçe retired his number 6 shirt, and he ended his career with a farewell game on September 16, 2012. With the national team he won silver at EuroBasket 2001. He is known for charitable work in his hometown; his sister is the pop singer Emina Jahović.