Hedo Turkoglu’s Top-3 Clutch Career Moments To Commemorate His Official Retirement

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Hedo Turkoglu has announced his retirement, and although you probably haven’t thought about him for years, you’ll probably miss him. He was at his peak with Dwight Howard on the Magic team that made an unlikely trip to the NBA Finals in 2009, and one could argue he was the second-most important player on that team. He was a big wing with a herky-jerky, but effective, ball-handling style that could hit the outside shot at the biggest moments.

Sure, Hedo hasn’t been that caliber of player in years, but it gave a certain segment of basketball nerds a nostalgic joy to see him pop up on the Clippers last season, even if he was a shell of his former self. But the end of a player’s career is an occasion to remember happier times, and with that, let’s remember when Turkoglu was at his best. Here are three of his most memorable moments.

This buzzer-beater to beat a Boston Celtics team on their way to an NBA title is special because it’s pure hero ball. Hedo gets isolated at the top of the key, makes an inch of space for himself, and drains it. Ice water in his veins.

Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis (and a younger J.J. Redick) were the deadly outside shooting triumvirate that complemented peak Dwight Howard so perfectly, and this huge comeback win over the Cleveland Cavaliers from the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals was their (and Stan Van Gundy’s) masterwork. Turkoglu’s game-tying three and game-winning floater are cued up here, but go back to the beginning if you want to relive all the glory.

And this was Turkoglu’s shining moment in a lopsided NBA Finals. Turkoglu was often pulling random incredible moments out of his butt at his peak (like any good freestyling European), and to reject Kobe at the end of a Finals game may have been his most fearless moment. If the Magic had somehow won that series, Turkoglu would have gone down as an all-time hero, a la Robert Horry for Lakers and Spurs fans. Maybe he will anyway.

We’ll miss you, Hedo. Let’s all have a slice of pizza to mark the occasion.

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