Hidayet Türkoğlu (Hido)
Born in Istanbul to Bosniak parents from the Sandžak town of Sjenica who emigrated to Turkey. In the NBA, Türkoğlu starred as a 6’10" playmaking point-forward for the Sacramento Kings and Orlando Magic, leading Orlando to the 2009 NBA Finals. He won the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 2008 and won Silver Medals with Turkey at EuroBasket 2001 and the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
He serves as President of the Turkish Basketball Federation.
Why they matter
The most successful Turkish basketball player in NBA history, proudly retaining his Bosniak family roots and fluency.
Key achievements
- ◆NBA Most Improved Player Award (2008)
- ◆Led Orlando Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals
- ◆Over 11,000 career points and nearly 1,000 NBA games played
- ◆President of the Turkish Basketball Federation
Origin and lineage
Parents emigrated from Sjenica (Sandžak) to Istanbul’s Bayrampaşa district, the heartland of the Turkish Bosniak community.
Sources and verification
Profile checked 2026-09-11. Quotes, videos and stock portraits from the draft were removed; ancestry claims that the source does not support are stated as contested.