Emir Preldžič

Emir Preldžič — Biography

Emir Preldžič was born on 6 September 1987 in Zenica, then part of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina within Yugoslavia. A Bosniak-Turkish basketball player, he stands 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) tall and weighs around 96 kg. Although he is primarily a small forward, his game is versatile enough to allow him to slide into the power forward, shooting guard or even point guard role when needed.

Preldžič began his international career representing Slovenia, appearing for the country's youth and senior selections before a 2007 club move led him to take up Turkish citizenship. From that point on he became a fixture of the Turkish national team, competing at multiple European championships and at the 2014 FIBA World Cup. At club level he spent many years with Fenerbahçe Ülker, winning four Turkish championships with the Istanbul giants, before switching to crosstown rival Darüşşafaka Doğuş for the 2015-16 season.

Basketball runs in the family: his father worked as a coach, and Preldžič has two siblings.