Ömer Asik
Encyclopedia
Ömer Aşık is a Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

 professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 player, currently playing for the NBA's Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...

. Aşık, standing at 7'0", was a sought after player by many of the top Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...

 basketball teams at the age of 19. Aşık got his first chance playing professionally with the Turkish basketball league
Turkish Basketball League
The Turkish Basketball League is the top men’s professional basketball league in Turkey, which is also called Turkish Premier Basketball League . There is also a Turkish Second Basketball League consisting of 2 divisions .-History:The first basketball game played in Turkey was at the Robert...

 team Fenerbahçe
Fenerbahçe Ülker
Fenerbahçe Ülker is the professional men's basketball department of Fenerbahçe S.K., a major multisport club based in Istanbul, Turkey. The department has been sponsored by the Ülker since 2006. In 2006 Fenerbahçe S.K...

 in 2005–06. Aşık moved around the Turkish 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
2010 FIBA World Championship
The 2010 FIBA World Championship, hosted by Turkey, was the international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from August 28 to September 12, 2010. It was co-organized by the International Basketball Federation , Turkish Basketball Federation and the...

, and as the starting center, he helped Turkey win the silver medal. In July 2010, Aşık signed a contract to become a Chicago Bull. He has been nicknamed "The Turkish Hammer" and "Asik and Destroy" by Bulls color commentator Stacey King.

Turkish Basketball League

Ömer Aşık was first signed by Fenerbahçe Ülker
Fenerbahçe Ülker
Fenerbahçe Ülker is the professional men's basketball department of Fenerbahçe S.K., a major multisport club based in Istanbul, Turkey. The department has been sponsored by the Ülker since 2006. In 2006 Fenerbahçe S.K...

 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 İstanbul. 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 Turkey 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. 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.

Turkish National Team

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

NBA

Ömer Aşık was drafted 36th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...

 in the 2008 NBA Draft
2008 NBA Draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...

 and immediately traded to the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...

 in a three-team deal. On July 13, 2010, Aşık was signed to a contract by the Chicago Bulls.

Rookie season training camp

ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

's Nick Friedell asked the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...

's Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose
Derrick Martell Rose is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association ....

 how much rookie center Ömer 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."

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
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....

. In the post season he suffered a fractured left fibula.. Surprisingly, 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.

Regular season

|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Chicago
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...


| 82 || 0 || 12.1 || .553 || .000 || .500 || 3.7 || .4 || .24 || .68 || 2.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 82 || 0 || 12.1 || .553 || .000 || .500 || 3.7 || .4 || .24 || .68 || 2.8

Playoffs

|-
| align="left" | 2011
2011 NBA Playoffs
The 2011 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format. The 2011 NBA Playoffs began on...


| align="left" | Chicago
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...


| 15 || 0 || 9.9 || .462 || .000 || .300 || 2.1 || .1 || .1 || .5 || 1.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 15 || 0 || 9.9 || .462 || .000 || .300 || 2.1 || .1 || .1 || .5 || 1.0
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