Semih Erden

Semih Erden — Biography

Semih Erden became known as a center who moved between Europe and the NBA: he was picked 60th by the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA draft, won silver with Turkey at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and played in the Fenerbahçe side that reached the club's first EuroLeague Final Four. In February 2025 he announced on Instagram that he was retiring from basketball.

He came up through the Darüşşafaka youth system and turned professional in 2003. He agreed a deal with France's ASVEL, but his club would not let him go; in 2004 he moved to Partizan and won the Yugoslav league title. From 2005 he played for Fenerbahçe, winning the Turkish league in 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2009-10 and the Presidential Cup in 2007. His contract kept him from taking up the draft rights straight away; after the World Championship he signed with Boston in July 2010. With the veteran big men injured, he started for the first time on 9 December 2010 against the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring 8 points. He was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in February 2011, and his NBA spell ended in 2012.

Back in Europe he played in turn for Anadolu Efes, Fenerbahçe again, Darüşşafaka, Beşiktaş, İstanbul BŞB, Pınar Karşıyaka, Türk Telekom and Bursaspor; in 2014-15 he lost the Final Four semi-final to Real Madrid with Fenerbahçe. With the national team he won silver at the 2006 European U20 Championship and made his senior debut the same year; at EuroBasket 2015 he averaged 13.2 points and 4.3 rebounds, his most productive tournament in the national shirt.