Mert Shumpert

Mert Shumpert — Biography

Mert Shumpert, born Preston Anthony Shumpert on August 20, 1979, in Muncie, Indiana, is a retired 1.98-meter American-born basketball player who later became a naturalized Turkish citizen. He starred in college basketball at Syracuse University, earning two All-Big East first-team selections.

He went on to play professionally in Turkey for Galatasaray, and around 2010 formally adopted the Turkish name "Mert" after gaining Turkish citizenship. Suiting up against top domestic rivals such as Fenerbahçe Ülker, Beşiktaş and Tofaş, Shumpert became one of the naturalized foreign-born players closely associated with Turkish basketball during that era.