Ersan Ilyasova

Ersan Ilyasova's Biography

Ersan İlyasova is a former professional basketball player hailing from Turkey. Born on 15 May 1987, he had an illustrious career in basketball which spanned across various nations and leagues. İlyasova played his initial games for Yeşilyurt in the Turkish second division league during the 2003–04 season before springboarding himself to the Turkish Basketball League with Ülkerspor for the 2004–05 season. Subsequently, he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2005 NBA draft after showing promise in the Turkish league.

İlyasova became an indispensable asset for the Milwaukee Bucks, for whom he played for nine seasons. He debuted for the team on 1 November 2006 againts the Detroit Pistons. By 2007, he played 66 games for the Bucks, averaging 6.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. During his tenure with the Bucks, he had a notable performance against the New Jersey Nets where he scored 29 points with 25 rebounds, a record previously achieved only by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Swen Nater.

Apart from his significant contribution to the Milwaukee Bucks, İlyasova played in Spain, representing FC Barcelona, where he won a championship in 2009. He also played in the NBA Development League, Turkey, and returned to the Turkish Basketball League during the NBA lockout in 2011, representing Anadolu Efes.

Throughout his NBA career, İlyasova showed his prowess with multiple teams. He played for the Detroit Pistons, the Orlando Magic, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Atlanta Hawks. İlyasova had a proclivity to bounce back to familiar domains, resigining with the Bucks a couple of times and also rejoining the 76ers for a shorter term after his stint with the Hawks.

Despite the injuries and lockdowns affecting his gameplay in the 2010s, İlyasova was not deterred by these challenges. He even played for the Utah Jazz in 2021 before moving on to the Chicago Bulls towards the end of the same year. However, İlyasova’s time with the Bulls was interrupted due to health and safety protocols.

A champion of talent from an early age, İlyasova was awarded the MVP of the 2006 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship. He was instrumental in taking Turkey’s junior national team to a silver medal win. Following his success in junior championships, İlyasova represented Turkey in the 2006 FIBA World Championship and various EuroBasket tournaments over the years.

Despite his basketball success, a cloud of controversy hovers over İlyasova’s age and national origin. There are claims that he is Arsen Ilyasov, an Uzbek national who disappeared in 2002, only for İlyasova to appear later that year. This sparked a dispute between the Turkish and Uzbekistan Basketball Federations, with FIBA ruling in favor of Turkey.

Off the court, İlyasova is a family man. He is the son of Crimean Tatar parents, Anvar and Iraliye İlyasova, and is married to Julia who was born in Belarus. Together, they have three children, all of whom were born in Milwaukee. İlyasova is also a practicing Muslim.