Kaya Peker

Kaya Peker — Biography

Kaya Peker is a former center, 2.07-2.08 metres tall, who was one of Turkish basketball's best-known big men in the 2000s. Playing for Efes Pilsen, he was a familiar name in both the domestic league and European competition, and he is remembered among the legends of Anadolu Efes's Final Four campaigns. He was also a regular in the national team for many years.

His career began in the Pınar Karşıyaka youth system, and he played in the club's senior side from 1996 to 2000. His athleticism for his size and his accurate outside shooting carried him into the national team at a young age. He moved to Efes Pilsen in 2000-01 and stayed six seasons, averaging 13.1 points in 2003-04, one of his best years. He then went to Spain with TAU Cerámica, played a season for Beşiktaş, and returned to Efes in 2008. From 2010 he spent three seasons at Fenerbahçe, scoring his 1,000th EuroLeague point against Cibona Zagreb on 1 December 2010.

In his later years he wore the colours of Trabzonspor (2013), Tofaş (2015) and Türk Telekom (2017). He pulled on the national jersey 198 times in all, 121 of them with the senior team. After retiring as a player he stayed in the sports conversation with his comments on Turkish basketball.