Ömer Faruk Yurtseven

Ömer Faruk Yurtseven — Biography

Ömer Faruk Yurtseven is a center, 2.13 m tall, known for his path from the Fenerbahçe youth system to the NBA and for playing for the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals. In May 2026 he agreed to join Real Madrid, and he also plays for the Turkey national team.

At Fenerbahçe he made his EuroLeague debut on 20 March 2015, and that year, in a preseason game against the Brooklyn Nets, he became the youngest player to appear in an NBA preseason game. In February 2016 he left for the United States to get more playing time, playing college basketball at North Carolina State and Georgetown; he went undrafted in 2020. He signed with the Miami Heat in 2021, made his first start on 26 December 2021 with 16 points and 15 rebounds, and played in the 2023 Finals, which the Heat lost to the Denver Nuggets. In July 2023 he moved to the Utah Jazz.

In 2024 he signed a 1+1 deal with Panathinaikos under Ergin Ataman; in the EuroLeague he scored 27 points with 7 rebounds against Virtus Bologna and was named Round 19 MVP, and he won the Greek Cup twice with the club. The two parted ways in February 2026; after short spells with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Golden State Warriors he moved to Real Madrid. With the junior national teams he won silver at the 2015 U18 and bronze at the 2016 U20 championships; with the senior side he reached the final of the 2025 EuroBasket.