Learn how Zeljko Obradovic turned an NBA Bench Player into the most wanted man in the Euroleague!

Ekpe Udoh is an American player that played five seasons in the NBA and has become a cult hero in his two seasons in Turkey for the Fenerbahce Basketball Club. Udoh walks through his club facility in Istanbul like a Giant. Ekpe Udoh, 30, is a 6-10 low post player for the Fenerbahce Basketball team. There are hundreds of fans that wait for him to go in and out of the facility.

Most of his fans want selfies with him, and Udoh will help his fans out for several minutes. One of the things that make him a fan favorite is that Udoh does research on the Turkish culture and has tried to understand the Turkish people.

Ekpe Udoh is a former NBA center for the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks. He isn’t the first American to play basketball in Turkey. Basketball became popular in Turkey from the American Television show: “The White Shadow.”

Click on the pdf link to download the Zeljko Obradovic – Fenerbahce Basketball Notes on Low Post Offense:

Zeljko Obradovic Notes on Low Post Offense

131 American basketball players played for Turkish clubs this past year. He is just the most popular. He has won two domestic titles with the Fenerbahce Basketball team, which is the Turkey’s best club. They also won the Euroleague Championship which is the world’s most competitive league outside the NBA.

Here are the reasons that Udoh is very popular in Turkey: He runs a book club for his literary basketball fans. He has taken the “Ataturk project” which is a personal crash course in the ideas and life of Mustafa Ataturk who is the founder of modern Turkey. He blogged about his favorite Istanbul restaurants and organized a cinema night for his fans. Ekpe Udoh has adopted Turkey, and they have adopted him.

Udoh wasn’t too happy about his move to Turkey in the beginning. He signed with Fenerbahce Basketball in mid-2015. It took him a while to get over the fact that his NBA dream was postponed for the moment. He had four average years with the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks. He spent one sad year with the Los Angeles Clippers where he only got 4 minutes a game.

Udoh grew up in Oklahoma and spent most of his college days at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He wasn’t prepared for life abroad at all. It took him about six months before he finally decided to make the most of his opportunity.

Udoh improved on and off the court in Turkey. He was considered a weak offensive player before he signed with the Fenerbahce Basketball team. His shooting and attacking play has improved after being coached by Fenerbahce’s coach: Zeljko Obradovic. Udoh is now a versatile player and probably the most wanted player in Europe.

Typically American players end up in the Euroleague; they seldom go back to the NBA. Udoh could be the exception to the rule. He was rumored to move back to the NBA this summer with the Philadephia 76’ers.