All summer long, NBA Game Time's celebrating the global reach of the game we love. Over the course of 90 days - leading up to the 2014 Global Games in October - get to know more about the international faces of the NBA. Day 5 brings us…
Omer Asik (C, Houston Rockets) Turkey
Height: 7 ft, 2.13m | Weight: 255 lbs, 115.7kg
Let's talk Turkey.
Omer Asik is a defensive powerhouse -- when he can stay healthy. Injuries plagued the Turkish center in 2013-14, causing him to miss 34 games. Despite his lack of court time, he still managed to make a substantial impact on the Rockets.
In his last 10 regular season games, as the Rockets battled for Playoff position, Asik averaged 14.2 rebounds and posted five double-doubles. Though his numbers also suffered this season due to shared minutes with Dwight Howard, Asik remains one of the better rebounders in the game, not to mention a constant presence in the paint. The future is bright for this 28-year old big man.
Key Stats
2013-14 Season- PTS: 5.8 | REB: 7.9 | AST: 0.5 | BLK 0.8
Season Highlight: Twice pulled down 23 rebounds in a game.
Awards:
*Member of the silver-medal-winning Turkish National Team at the 2010 FIBA World Championships
5 Things to Know:
1. Became the first rookie in NBA history to grab at least 10 boards in a game without attempting a field goal or a free throw (vs Miami on February 24, 2011).
2. Grew up playing for Fenerbahce S.K. Istanbul (2005-10) in Turkey
3. He was only 6 feet tall at age 17 and grew 8 inches that summer (Chicago Sun Times)
4. Has played in the NBA for 4 seasons and made it to the playoffs each season, twice with the Chicago Bulls and twice with the Houston Rockets
5. One of four players from Turkey to play in the NBA this season. Others include: Ersan Ilyasova (MIL), Enes Kanter (UTA) and Hidayet "Hedo" Turkoglu (ORL)
Check out Asik's photos and videos in the LEAGUE section of the NBA Game Time app
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