hedo turkoglu

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Josh Cohen

ORLANDO - If you go back in NBA history and review every championship-contending team’s journey, you’ll find that most of them made a transaction that initially seemed marginal, but ultimately proved substantial.&nbsp;

Take, for example, last year’s Denver Nuggets. On back-to-back days in July 2022, 11 months before capturing their first NBA title, they acquired Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in a trade and signed Bruce Brown in free agency. Both those players made a big impact in Denver’s championship run. Months before that, the Miami Heat, Denver’s 2023 Finals opponent, made a subtle move that turned out to be a game-changer. In September 2021, they signed Caleb Martin to a two-way contract. Martin, who was given a regular contract half a season later, would go on to be the Heat’s X-factor in their 2023 playoff run.

In those cases, it was supporting cast members that helped raise the bar. Much rarer is when one of those low-key transactions involves a player that ends up becoming one of the faces of a championship-contending team.&nbsp;&nbsp;

That is, however, what transpired in the 2000s in Orlando. In the summer of 2004, the Magic signed Hedo Turkoglu, a 6-foot-10 forward from Turkey, to a free agent contract. Many knew of Turkoglu, as he had been in the league for a few years already. He played three seasons with the Sacramento Kings and one with the San Antonio Spurs before joining the Magic.

But few, if any, predicted that he would become one of the best players on a team that would ultimately reach the NBA Finals.&nbsp;

The summer of 2004 was a time of change for the Magic. They were coming off an abysmal 2003-04 campaign, going 21-61.&nbsp;

A couple weeks before the Turkoglu signing, they selected Dwight Howard with the first overall pick in the draft, and also acquired the draft rights to Jameer Nelson, the 20th&nbsp;pick.&nbsp;

Just five days later, in a move that rocked the entire league, Orlando traded perennial All-Star Tracy McGrady to the Houston Rockets. Steve Francis, along with Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato, came to the Magic in that deal.&nbsp;

Turkoglu had been one of the youngest players on the teams he played for in both Sacramento and San Antonio. Being 25 years old in 2004, he felt like based on where he was at in his career, the Magic offered the right blend of opportunities.&nbsp;

“That time as a player you are also looking for opportunities for your playing time as well,” Turkoglu said. “When my agent and I had the conversation, they were building a young core, and they said I could be a good piece of that core, so that’s why it got me excited to be a part of it.”

As you’d expect from any team that was “starting over,” the Magic experienced a lot of ups and downs in Turkoglu’s first three years in Orlando. They went 36-46 in 2004-05, 36-46 again in 2005-06, and 40-42 in 2006-07.&nbsp;

But Turkoglu himself had emerged as one of the league’s better rotation players in that time. Although not a star yet, he was one of Orlando’s most reliable players. More important to him, though, was that he felt good about the direction of the team.&nbsp;

“Things started shaping up,” he said. “In the beginning, they were trying to put pieces together. At the time, we had some experienced guys, and some good players as well. But when you have a young core building around Dwight and Jameer, adding different pieces together every year, you can see that things were starting to go in the right direction. We had coaching changes as well in that period.”

Arguably, the most significant offseason in Magic history was in 2007. Orlando had just come off losing in a sweep in the first round of the playoffs to the Detroit Pistons, and they knew that in order to take the next step, they had to make a big splash in the summer.&nbsp;

The first order of business was finding the right head coach. Billy Donovan accepted the job on June 1, 2007. But several days later, he decided to return to the University of Florida. Right away, the Magic pivoted to Stan Van Gundy, who had previously been the Heat’s head coach.&nbsp;

This hire did wonders for Turkoglu’s career. Van Gundy saw something in the then 28-year-old that hadn’t been unlocked yet, which was his ultra-smooth playmaking abilities.&nbsp;

Very few players 6-foot-10 or above had ever possessed elite-level vision and instincts like Turkoglu at the time. He had a unique ability to read the game on the fly and find teammates while skying over most defenders.

“It will be hard to describe in words (what Van Gundy meant to him and his career),” he said. “If you remember, they had signed Rashard (Lewis), too, that summer. We had a conversation with Stan. We were on the phone because I was in Turkey at that time. We had a conversation about how he was trying to structure the team and what my role was going to be. I had a good confidence and a good speech with him. All I have to do is come out there and just show what I can do.” 

Right away in that first season under Van Gundy, the narrative surrounding Turkoglu started shifting. No longer was he just an ancillary piece who can provide a spark here and there. Now, he was turning heads with his combination of size, shooting, and playmaking.&nbsp;

In Orlando’s very first game of the 2007-08 season, he scored 24 points in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Two games later, in a victory over the Washington Wizards, he posted 25 points and eight assists. That year, he would record his first two triple-doubles of his career.&nbsp;

The entire league noticed his progression, which led to him being named the 2007-08 NBA Most Improved Player.

“I was really happy about it because as a player, even in those ages, you can prove that every year no matter what age you are, if the opportunity comes with a good group of guys and the coaching understands your talent and your skills (you can accomplish big things),” he said. “Being able to win that respect and that belief from your coach and your teammates, I think it was the most honorable award as a player that you can ask for.”&nbsp;

Entering the 2008-09 season, the Magic were a bit of a mystery. Were they just a very good team that can be a nuisance to championship contenders, or could they themselves be one of those championship contenders?&nbsp;

Throughout that regular season, it became clear that the answer was the latter. Orlando went 59-23 and ranked No. 1 in the league in defense. On that journey, they beat all the league’s other elite teams more than once, including the Lakers twice, the Cavs twice and the Celtics twice.&nbsp;

Unmistakable about Turkoglu, specifically, was that he had ice in his veins. Very few players, if any, were more clutch than him that season.

His most memorable single shot came in the first round of the playoffs that year against the Philadelphia 76ers. In Game 4, with the Magic trailing the series 2-1, he buried a game-winning 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining.&nbsp;

The next round against the Celtics, although a last-second shot wasn’t needed, Turkoglu delivered a performance for the ages in Game 7 in Boston. He finished with 25 points and 12 assists in the Magic’s blowout victory.&nbsp;

“As you remember, everybody was like, well, it’s over for the Magic and it’s not easy to win Game 7 with all those players over there,” he recalls. “It turned out it wasn’t what people were thinking. We had so much confidence…All of us really stepped up and did our part individually.”&nbsp;

Once again underdogs, the Magic squared off against the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Not only did Orlando upset Cleveland in six games, but a few of the most memorable playoff shots over the last 15 years occurred during that series.

In Game 1, Lewis made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 14.1 seconds remaining, as the Magic overcame a 15-point deficit to steal the opener on the road. Lewis also made a clutch triple in the final seconds of regulation in Game 4. Orlando would go on to win that contest in overtime.

Even though the Cavs lost the series, many still say that LeBron James’ most astonishing game winner was his 3-pointer at the buzzer in Game 2. What many forget, though, is that right before that shot, it was Turkoglu who played the hero role.&nbsp;

The game tied at 93, Turkoglu went one-on-one against Sasha Pavlovic and pulled up right above the free throw line to knock down a go-ahead jumper with one second left.&nbsp;

“It could have been 2-0 in that series,” he said. “As you remember, Cleveland was the hottest team in the league at that time. They won 60-something games and they were really unstoppable. But we built so much confidence throughout the quarterfinals and semifinals. Coming into the game, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy because we were playing against a really, really good team…Those moments were really shocking everybody because we didn’t panic and we just played our roles and everybody had been ready.”

Although the Magic came up short in the Finals against the Lakers, losing in five games, Turkoglu had a fantastic series. He scored over 20 points in two of those contests, including in Game 2 in Los Angeles and Game 4 in Orlando. He also had a memorable block in Game 2 on Kobe Bryant in the closing moments of regulation.&nbsp;

In the summer of 2009, Turkoglu signed a free agent contract with the Toronto Raptors. After a year there, he would get traded to the Phoenix Suns. But after just a year-and-a-half away from Orlando, the Magic decided to bring him back.&nbsp;

On Dec. 18, 2010, the Magic reacquired Turkoglu from the Suns in a blockbuster multi-player trade. Orlando also landed Jason Richardson and Earl Clark in that deal, while Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat and Mickael Pietrus were sent to Phoenix.&nbsp;

Shortly after his return, the Magic would tie their franchise record for most wins in a row with nine consecutive victories from Dec. 23, 2010 through Jan. 8, 2011. In one of those wins, which came against the Golden State Warriors, Turkoglu notched a triple-double with 10 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. In all, he had four triple-doubles in his NBA career – three with the Magic.&nbsp;

Following the 2013-14 season, Turkoglu signed with the L.A. Clippers. He announced his retirement from the NBA on Nov. 13, 2015.&nbsp;

Turkoglu has been the president of the Turkish Basketball Federation since October 2016.&nbsp;

His kids are in Orlando, so he’s in town quite frequently.&nbsp;

Coaching is something that he’s interested in potentially doing in the future.&nbsp;

“I really like helping the kids and the players, and trying to be the guy in those moments when they have ups and downs,” he said. “In the future, coaching might be something that I will really get into more and more.”

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Orlando Magic 35th Anniversary Spotlight: Hedo Turkoglu

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ORLANDO -- The Orlando Magic are proud to announce a new official team partnership with Socios.com, the leading global blockchain provider for the sports and entertainment industry.

As an official team partner starting with the 2021-22 season, Socios.com and the Magic look to provide new opportunities for innovative fan engagement to create a true fan experience. In addition, Magic legend Hedo Turkoglu will be a featured spokesperson for the Magic and Socios.com partnership. As part of the collaboration, Turkoglu will be integrated into marketing and media assets for Socios.com in an effort to underscore the fan experience.

Other marketing efforts include Socios.com featured on the Magic's in-game signage, through the team app, and in the Magic e-newsletter. Socios.com will have a presence on the team's social media platforms and will serve as the presenting partner of the Magic Soundoff Presented by Socios.com. In addition, Turkoglu will create the first fan poll sponsored by Socios.com which will be featured on the team's Twitter account, @orlandomagic, for fans to participate in and interact with Turkoglu. Turkoglu will continued to be in featured in the Magic's social platforms throughout the upcoming season.

Driven by the central belief that transitioning passive fans into active fans is essential to the future of sport, Socios.com is a direct-to-consumer (D2C) platform that leverages blockchain technology to provide the world’s leading sporting organizations with the tools to engage with and monetize their global fanbases.

Orlando Magic joins a 50+ strong network of major international sporting properties on the Socios.com roster, which also includes European soccer giants FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, AC Milan,  Atlético Madrid, Manchester City, Inter Milan, Arsenal and the Argentina and Portugal national soccer teams, as well as a number of leading teams from F1, esports and cricket.

The partnership is part of Socios.com’s growing expansion into the US sports industry with teams in the NBA and NHL along with NASCAR and UFC.

"The Orlando Magic are thrilled to add Socios.com to our partnership family in this growing, first-of-its-kind category for our team," said J.T. McWalters, Magic vice president of global partnerships. "Socios.com will bring many firsts for the Magic and our fans alike. We also look forward to partnering with Hedo on our efforts to create additional exposure for Socios.com and the collaboration this will generate throughout the partnership."

“We're really excited to continue our expansion into the US sports industry with Orlando Magic" added Alexandre Dreyfus, CEO of Socios.com and Chiliz. “Orlando Magic are a massive globally recognised brand and we're proud to add them to our growing roster of partners. This is the start of an exciting partnership that we believe can eventually lead to greatly enhanced fan engagement for fans of the Orlando Magic around the world. “

Socios.com has major global expansion plans and will increase their existing presence in Europe, while targeting many more Fan Token launches in the USA, Asia and South America with the world’s leading sporting properties. Socios.com has multiple office locations around the world and has already opened new regional headquarters in Madrid, Istanbul, São Paulo and Buenos Aires in 2021. The company will open a new office in North America in the near future.

Transitioning passive fans into active fans is essential to the future of sport. Our vision is for an extensive network of the world’s leading sporting organizations to achieve this through Fan Tokens and transactional fan engagement on Socios.com. Fan Tokens, collectible, digital assets minted on the Chiliz blockchain, and the Socios.com fan engagement platform enable the world’s biggest sporting properties to plug into a fan influence and fan reward ecosystem. Socios.com has already generated $150M in revenues for sports teams in 2021. Over 40 major sporting organisations, including UFC® , FC Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Valencia CF, Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Manchester City and the Argentina and Portugal national teams have partnered with Socios.com. Aston Martin Cognizant and Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN of Formula One™ have launched Fan Tokens. Leading esports organizations Team Heretics, NAVI, OG and Alliance have all launched Fan Tokens on the platform. NHL side New Jersey Devils recently became the first US sports franchise to partner with Socios.com, before being joined by the 76ers and Boston Celtics of the NBA. Three leading IPL sides have also joined the Socios.com roster. Many more leading sports and entertainment properties from around the world are set to launch Fan Tokens in the near future.  Chiliz, the crypto unicorn behind the Socios.com platform has 140+ employees and has already opened new regional headquarters in Madrid, Istanbul, São Paulo. The company will open a new office in North America in the near future. Chiliz $CHZ has been listed on a host of major cryptocurrency exchanges around the world, including Coinbase and Binance. Socios.com - creators of Fan Tokens - also own www.fantokens.com which will launch soon. The Socios.com app is available in 10 languages. For more information please visit www.socios.com.

Orlando's NBA franchise since 1989, the Magic's mission is to be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way. Under the DeVos family’s ownership, the Magic have seen great success in a relatively short history, winning six division championships (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2019) with seven 50-plus win seasons and capturing the Eastern Conference title in 1995 and 2009. Off the court, on an annual basis, the Orlando Magic gives more than $2 million to the local community by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise and grants. Orlando Magic community relations programs impact an estimated 100,000 kids each year, while a Magic staff-wide initiative provides more than 7,000 volunteer hours annually. In addition, the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation (OMYF) which serves at-risk youth, has distributed more than $25 million to local nonprofit community organizations over the last 30 years. The Magic’s other entities include the team’s NBA G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic, which began play in the 2017-18 season in nearby Lakeland, Fla.; the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, which serves as the affiliate to the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning; and Magic Gaming, of the NBA 2K League, which began play in the spring of 2018. The Magic play their home games at the award-winning Amway Center, honored with TheStadiumBusiness Awards’ 2013 Customer Experience Award and named SportsBusiness Journal's 2012 Sports Facility of the Year.

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Orlando Magic Joins Socios.com's Global Fan Engagement Network

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Hedo Turkoglu's Career Achievements With Magic

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Hedo Turkoglu's Most Memorable Plays With Magic

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We appreciate your understanding and flexibility.

Due to Tropical Storm Nicole, the NBA has announced that the Dallas Mavericks at Orlando Magic game on Wednesday, November 9 will tip-off at 5:30 PM. Amway Center doors open at 4:30 PM.