Last Updated on April 16, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Ömer Aşık is a retired Turkish professional basketball player known for his strong defensive presence and rebounding skills in the NBA.

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Ömer Faruk Aşık
  • Born: July 4, 1986
  • Hometown: Bursa, Turkey
  • Nationality: Turkish
  • Position: Center
  • Height: 7 feet 0 inches (2.13 meters)
  • Weight: 255 lbs (116 kg)
  • NBA Draft: Selected 36th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers (rights traded to Chicago Bulls)
  • Teams Played For:
    • Chicago Bulls (2010–2012)
    • Houston Rockets (2012–2014)
    • New Orleans Pelicans (2014–2018)
  • Playing Style: Aşık was known for his size, defense, and rebounding ability. He wasn’t a prolific scorer but excelled at protecting the rim and cleaning the glass. His physical presence in the paint made him a valuable asset for teams looking for a solid interior defender and rebounder.
  • Notable Achievements:
    • In 2012, he was a key part of the Chicago Bulls’ defensive success, helping them finish with one of the best defensive ratings in the league.
    • He was also a starting center for the Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans during his career, bringing strong rebounding and shot-blocking to both teams.
  • International Career: Aşık played for the Turkish national basketball team, helping Turkey win the silver medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship held in Turkey.
  • Retirement: Aşık’s career was cut short due to health issues, including a rare autoimmune disease, which caused him to miss the entire 2017–2018 NBA season. He retired from professional basketball in 2018.

Player Archetype / Play Style

Omer Asık’s player archetype was that of a traditional defensive center, a true interior anchor whose value came from screening, rebounding, rim protection, and doing the heavy paint work that let others operate more freely. At 7-foot and about 255 pounds, he had the size, strength, and reach of a classic NBA big, using that frame to hold position inside, contest at the rim, and control space as a drop defender rather than as a mobile perimeter switch piece. Offensively, his role was limited and practical: set hard screens, dive to the basket, finish simple chances around the rim, and clean up misses instead of creating offense for himself. His overall play style was rugged, disciplined, and low-usage, built around defensive presence, physical rebounding, and the kind of interior reliability that made him most useful next to higher-skill scorers and ball-handlers. (NBA)

Notes:

  • Similar players to Omer Asık include Luc Longley.

Player Insights

Daryl Morey was notably high on Ömer Aşık during his early NBA years, valuing him as a well-scouted, cost-efficient defensive center rather than a featured star. Aşık’s role and minutes later declined in different team contexts, which reflected changing roster construction and offensive priorities more than a sudden drop in ability. At his best, he provided rebounding, rim protection, and screening — traits that made him a useful supporting piece for the Houston Rockets and similar lineups built around perimeter creators. His impact profile is comparable to Luc Longley, who filled a complementary interior role on championship teams led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, where size, positional defense, and low-usage offense supported higher-volume scorers. While the eras differed stylistically, both centers projected value primarily through structure, physical presence, and team-oriented play rather than individual offensive production. (9/14/2024)

Sources:
NBA.com — Omer Asik | Center | New Orleans Pelicans
EuroLeague — OMER ASIK Profile | EuroLeague
NBADraft.net — Omer Asik
NBA.com — Omer Asik brings needed defensive presence to NOLA