Ömer Aşık

Ömer Aşık

Aşık with the Rockets
No. 3 – Houston Rockets
Position	Center
League	NBA
Personal information
Born	(1986-07-04) July 4, 1986 Bursa, Turkey
Nationality	Turkish
Listed height	7 ft 0 in (213 cm)
Listed weight	255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
NBA draft	2008 / Round: 2 / Pick: 36th overall
Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers
Pro playing career	2005–present
Career history
2005–2006	Fenerbahçe (Turkey)
2006–2007	Alpella (Turkey)
2007–2010	Fenerbahçe (Turkey)
2010–2012	Chicago Bulls
2012–present	Houston Rockets
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals Competitor for  Turkey FIBA World Championship Silver 2010 Turkey National team

Ömer Faruk Aşık (Turkish pronunciation: [œmæɾ aːʃɯk]; born July 4, 1986) is a Turkish professional basketball player who currently plays for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Aşık, standing at 7'0", was sought after by many of the top Euroleague basketball teams at the age of 19. Aşık got his first chance playing professionally with the Turkish basketball league team Fenerbahçe in 2005–06. Aşık moved around the Turkish Basketball League and eventually ended his Turkish club career with Fenerbahçe in 2008–2009. He gained recognition playing for the Turkish National Team in the 2010 FIBA World Championship, and as the starting center, he helped Turkey win the silver medal. In July 2010, Aşık signed a contract to become a Chicago Bull.^[1] He was nicknamed "The Turkish Hammer"^[2] and "Asik and Destroy" by Bulls commentator Stacey King.

Turkish Basketball League

Aşık was first signed by Fenerbahçe Ülker in 2005. He only played one game before being traded on loan for 2005–06 season to FMV Işık Spor Kulübü, in the 2nd division. Fenerbahçe didn't have room on the roster for Aşık and needed his in-game development to continue. He signed for the 2006–07 season by Alpella. He averaged 10.75 points and 11.25 rebounds over 40 games playing for Alpella. Leaving Alpella in December 2007, he resumed the season signing with Fenerbahçe for a second time. He was destined to be a superstar but in 2008 he tore his ACL and didn’t play for six months. When he returned, Aşık was creating havoc in the Turkish League, but he broke his collar-bone and didn't play for two months. After his recovery, Fenerbahçe tried to make him sign a new contract and held him out of the team until he signed. Aşık didn't give in and sat out the rest of the season.^[3] At Fenerbahçe, Aşık averaged 7.8 points and 6.1 rebounds during the 2007–2008 and 2008–2009 seasons. With the help of Aşık in the 2007–08 season, Fenerbahçe won the Turkish National Championship. Ömer became a 2 time All-Star for Fenerbahçe during the 2007–2008 and 2008–2009 seasons.^[4]

Turkish National Team

Aşık first played on the national stage when he was appointed to Turkey's 2006 U20 European Championship Men's Division A team. He played a supporting role averaging only 2 ppg and 2.6 rpg. The 2006 Turkish men's national U-20 team won the silver medal losing in the Championship to Serbia & Montenegro. In 2010 Aşık was a part of the Turkish national team for the 2010 FIBA World Championship. He played a significant role for Turkey with 8.9 ppg and 6.9 rpg, helping the national team to the championship game against USA national team. Turkey fell to the US 81–64, achieving the silver medal. He proved himself against some of the world's greatest players, even scoring 17 points in a landslide victory over China.^[3]

NBA career

Chicago Bulls (2010–2012)

Omer Asik playing for Chicago Bulls.

Aşık was drafted 36th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2008 NBA Draft and immediately traded to the Chicago Bulls in a three-team deal.^[5] On July 13, 2010, Aşık was signed to a contract by the Chicago Bulls.^[1]

Rookie season training camp

When ESPN's Nick Friedell asked the Chicago Bulls's Derrick Rose how much rookie center Aşık had improved since training camp started, he offered up a quick answer. "A lot", he said. "He's a guy [that's] real critical to our team. His age, he's young, he's active, playing hard. Him and Jo in the game together is crazy because they always get tips, loose balls, whatever. His offensive game is getting a lot better. He's shooting the ball a lot better from the free-throw line. He's getting a lot better as the preseason is going on."^[6]

2010–2011 season

On October 27, 2010, Aşık made his regular-season debut for the Bulls in their first game of the season, a road game at the Oklahoma City Thunder. Asik earned more and more minutes as the season went on and eventually became one of the first players off the bench in the Bulls' playoff run. In the post-season, he suffered a fractured left fibula.^[7]

2011–2012 season

Aşık recovered from his injury suffered during the 2011 playoffs. On a nationally televised game on January 13, 2012, an ESPN announcer declared that he was "as good of a defensive center as anyone at his position in the league". After starting in only two regular season games, Aşık moved into the starting lineup after Joakim Noah was injured in game 3 of the Bulls' first-round series against Philadelphia 76ers. In the sixth and final game, Aşık missed two free throws in the last minute, allowing Philadelphia to take the lead and win the series. Throughout the game, however, Aşık had played well above his season averages, with 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks (vs. 3.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1 block per game).

Houston Rockets (2012–present)

2012–2013 season

Asik blocks a shot attempt by Daequan Cook in a pre-season game versus the Oklahoma City Thunder

On July 20, 2012, Aşık signed an offer sheet with the Houston Rockets, reportedly worth $25.1 million for three years.^[8] Since Aşık was a restricted free agent, the Bulls could have matched Houston's offer, but decided not to do so and he officially joined the Rockets.^[9] On February 27, 2012, in a loss against the Milwaukee Bucks, Asik set a career high for rebounds with 22, including 6 offensive boards. On January 18, 2013, he set a career high for points with 22 in a loss to the Indiana Pacers and tied it on April 1, 2013, in a win against the Orlando Magic. Asik had a breakout season, becoming the Rockets starting center, averaging career highs averages of 10.1 ppg,11.7 rpg, 1.1 bpg in 30.0 mpg. Asik helped the Rockets to a 45-37 record and made the playoffs for the first time since the 2008–09 NBA season.

Player profile

Aşık is known as a prominent interior defender and outstanding shot-blocker.^[10] He is an excellent rebounder and help-defender. His offensive game has improved considerably since moving to the Rockets;^[11] now averaging double-digit points per game, he has been described as a "double-double machine".^[12]

Career statistics

NBA regular season

NBA Playoffs

Euroleague

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ömer Aşık.

• Career statistics and player information from NBA.com
• Euroleague.net Profile
• TBLStat.net Profile