Who was the first Turkish-born player in NBA history?

Hedo Turkoglu was the first Turkish-born player in NBA history.

Born Hidayet Türkoğlu in Istanbul on March 19, 1979, he entered the NBA after being selected 16th overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2000 NBA Draft. He made his NBA debut that year and became the first player born in Turkey to appear in an NBA game.

Türkoğlu later became best known for his years with the Orlando Magic, where his versatility, ball-handling, and three-point shooting made him an important part of the team’s 2009 NBA Finals run. He won the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award for the 2007–08 season and was selected for the 2008–09 All-Star Game.

A common mix-up is Mehmet Okur, another pioneering Turkish NBA player. Okur entered the league after Türkoğlu and became the first Turkish player to win an NBA championship, with the Detroit Pistons in 2004, and the first Turkish-born NBA All-Star, in 2007. Those achievements are different from being the first Turkish-born player in NBA history.