Hedo Turkoglu

Shahbaz Khan

With Peja Stojakovic sidelined, then second-year forward Hedo Turkoglu stepped in to have a memorable, career night.

In 44 minutes of play, Turkoglu hit on 12-of-15 from the field for a 31-point, 10-assist and nine-rebound effort. Just missing a triple-double, the Turkish sophomore credited Stojakovic for his standout performance.

"Peja is a good scorer, probably one of the leading scorers on the team," said Turkoglu to ESPN. "And today I tried to do the same things as him, to rebound and score."

No. 5 succeeded, leading the team in both points and assists en route to a sweep of Denver in the 2001-02 season. The Kings shot 57-percent on the night, with the trio of Turkoglu, Chris Webber and Bobby Jackson combining for 68 points in the victory.

See the best moments of Hedo in a Kings uniform below.

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This Date in Kings History: Hedo Drops Near Triple-Double Versus Nuggets

Kyle Ramos

Former Kings forward Hedo Turkoglu made history in 2000 by becoming the first Turkish-born player to play in the NBA and after a 15-year career, he’s hanging up his kicks for good.

On Friday, Turkoglu announced his retirement from professional basketball, ending a successful tenure that included a Most Improved Player award in 2008 and a selection to the All-Rookie Second Team in 2001.

Affectionately known as “Brother Hedo” in his tenure with the Kings, Turkoglu was a core member for Sacramento after being taken in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft. While Hedo was the first player from his country in the NBA, he had some European company on the roster with Peja Stojakovic and Vlade Divac alongside him on the Kings.

Doug Christie, another former teammate during Hedo’s Sacramento days, weighed in on the end of his friend’s basketball career.

“Hedo’s one of my favorites, actually, because he was just so much fun,” said Christie. “

The former Kings guard also recalled a story with Hedo of when he first got to the United States and purchased his first vehicle. Former Kings forward Chris Webber took Turkoglu’s truck to get a new stereo system, refinished the interior, and added some new rims as the icing on the cake. Christie said that Hedo loved the modifications and remembered Turkoglu pulling up next to him at a stoplight near the arena.

“He was playing some loud music and just rocking his head,” Christie said with a big smile. “He was always fun, always kept lively and just a really good competitor.”

Kings TV Analyst Jerry Reynolds remembers first seeing Turkoglu when he came in to work out for the Kings prior to the Draft.

“I didn’t know a lot about him, but I watched him and I was amazed by his size and the skill he had” said Reynolds. “Fortunately enough we were able to draft him at No. 16 [overall].”

“He was one of those guys that was just a heck of an overall player,” Reynolds continued. “Hedo could play several positions and of course he went on to have a great career.”

Turkoglu spent four seasons with the Kings from 2000-2003 and would go on to play for several other teams, having stints with the Spurs, Magic, Raptors, Suns, and  Clippers. His final NBA appearance came in a Clippers loss to Houston during the Western Conference Semi-Finals this past season.

Besides his contributions on the court, Hedo also undoubtedly influenced many Kings fans back in the day with his famous frosted tips hairdo.

With the final chapter closed in Turkoglu’s NBA career, we salute “Brother Hedo” and thank him for the memories he helped make while he donned the purple and black.

kings-reflect-on-hedo-turkoglus-retirement

Kings Reflect on Hedo Turkoglu’s Retirement

Alex Kramers

McCants averaged 10.3 points in 24 games with the Kings following a 2008-09 midseason trade, and has since played in the D-League and suited up for numerous overseas squads. The international journeyman has nonetheless carved time out of his schedule to dabble in acting – starring in a web series, "The Booster Club” – as well as record music under the alias King Suni Blac.

In his 2011 debut single – the surprisingly catchy “Ballin’ Is My Hobby” – McCants boasts about his financial status and on-court skills, boldly proclaiming he “could beat the Dream Team.” The former NCAA champion currently plays for the Trotamundos de Carabobo of the Liga Profesional de Baloncesto in Venezuela.

Although the Kings forward is the son of an R&amp;B singer – Rudy Gay, Sr. of Ace Spectrum – No. 8 is yet to record any original music of his own.

In 2013, however, the then-Raptors star made a split-second cameo in Grammy-award-winning rapper Drake’s video for “5AM in Toronto,” hanging out with Drizzy in a volleyball court-turned-nightclub in the wee hours of the morning. Hopefully his team didn’t have a game the next night.

Doug Christie – Doug and his wife Jackie are co-founders of Jean Rah Fya Records, a label that claims to be “home to some of the hottest young talent,” including their daughter, Chantel “Chani” Christie.

Tyreke Evans(featuring Jason Thompson and Donté Greene) – The former Rookie of the Year – whose brother, International I, is a hip-hop artist and CEO of Blu Print Entertainment – freestyled live on UStream, with a little assistance from a pair of his then-Kings teammates.

Hedo Turkoglu – The clip has been inexplicably pulled off the internet, but Turkoglu spit a few bars in Turkish in a 2009 commercial for his home country’s leading mobile phone operator, TurkCell.

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Hip-Hop Royalty - Page 4

Since the early 1990s, dozens of NBA players have crossed over into the hip-hop industry, from releasing their own full-length albums to making cameos in chart-topping rap artists’ music videos.

Most notably, Kings Minority Owner Shaquille O’Neal dropped multiple certified gold and platinum albums – as well as notoriously freestyled on numerous occasions – while Jason Kidd, Cedric Ceballos, Brian Shaw and Dana Barros are among the emcees on 1994's legendary compilation album, "B-Ball’s Best Kept Secret." Last year, a teaser video promoted the forthcoming “Full Court Press Vol. 1” – an apparently real album featuring rap collaborations from the likes of Juwan Howard, Carlos Boozer and Glen "Big Baby" Davis with Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg and T-Pain – but while it promised a fall 2014 release date, the official website only states the highly-anticipated record is 'coming soon.'

Numerous Kings legends – including Chris Webber and Walt Williams – have showcased their rapping prowess in recording studios over the years, while several other Sacramento hip-hop junkies have delved into the genre by making brief music-video appearances.

In the midst of his first season in The River City in 1999, the five-time All-Star released his debut rap album, 2 Much Drama, under the moniker of C. Webb. The 21-track, independent-label record features Kurupt on the top-10 single "Gangsta, Gangsta (How U Do It)” – which is accompanied by an outstanding video loaded with clichéd choreographed dances and shiny suits – as well as a guest appearance from Redman on “Nuttin' ta Do.”

The current TNT and NBA TV analyst also has production and writing credits on several hip-hop songs, including Nas’ 2007 hit single “Surviving the Times.” The Detroit native’s rap aspirations trace back as far as 1994, when during an appearance on BET’s “Rap City,” Webber revealed he was forming his own record label with Naughty by Nature’s DJ Kay Gee.

Hedo Turkoglu

This Date in Kings History: Hedo Drops Near Triple-Double Versus Nuggets

Kings Reflect on Hedo Turkoglu’s Retirement

Hip-Hop Royalty - Page 4

Hip-Hop Royalty

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Christie Remembers