Ermal Kuqo
Encyclopedia
Ermal Kuqo (born February 12, 1980, in Korçë
, Albania
) is the most successful Albania
n basketball player of all times. He currently plays for the Turkish
side Anadolu Efes. Kuqo was a part of the Turkish national basketball team from 2004 until 2010, but now plays for the Albania national basketball team
.
His father Robert and uncle Artan are basketball idols in his home country Albania
. Kuqo came to Turkey
when he was 15. He gained Turkish
citizenship in 1997 and because of Turkish laws had to change his last name to Kurtoğlu. He still uses his Turkish last name Kurtoğlu when he plays in the Turkish league, but in the Euroleague
and other European competitions he plays as "Kuqo".
. He played college basketball
at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, Kansas
and Seminole State College
in Seminole, Oklahoma
, United States
. After junior college, Kuqo signed a Letter of Intent with Texas Tech University
in the NCAA to play for the legendary Bobby Knight
, but because of his previous European pro career, he got ruled ineligible. After that he decided to come back to Europe and continue his career with the famous dalmatian team KK Split
(ex-Jugoplastika). After a frustrating season with the Žuti
he finally had his breakout season with the Slovenian club KK Pivovarna Laško, averaging almost 13 ppg and 7 rpg in the Adriatic League. In the summer of 2003 Ermal signed a two year contract with the Turkish powerhouse Efes Pilsen, coached by Oktay Mahmuti
, where he had an immediate impact both in the Euroleague
as well as in the Turkish
domestic league, establishing himself as one of the premier players of the Turkish champions. At the end of 2007-2008 season Kuqo signed a two year deal with Pamesa Valencia. He had a very up and down and inconsistent season, especially after Neven Spahija took over from Fotis Katsikaris
in mid November. Most of the time coach Spahija preferred Kosta Perovic
and Matt Nielsen playing together and was considering Kuqo to be a surplus to requirements. In late January he suffered a calf injury that put a stop to his playing time for at least a month, and that took Ermal out of the rotation. Even though he started the pre-season preparation with Valencia the next year, Kuqo and the team decided to part ways in early September and Kuqo after that signed a contract to come back to Efes Pilsen. But he came to the team late in October and found himself mainly sitting on the bench as Efes Pilsen's coach had plenty of centers to play with, among them Mario Kasun
, Daniel Santiago
, Kaya Peker, Bostjan Nachbar. After two very frustrating seasons, his old coach Oktay Mahmuti
knocked on Ermal's door offering him a contract to play for Galatasaray Spor Kulubu, offer which Ermal immediately accepted.
Since early in his career, Kuqo has developed into a monster under the basket. Although he is a little bit undersized for the center position he makes up for it with his uncanny instincts and great fundamentals on the low block. He is also a serious threat from the three-point line that can surprise opponents. His back-to-the-basket game gets better and better every season with an array of different finishing techniques. He had a chance to show his best self playing for Galatasaray
in 2010-2011 season where together with Preston Shumpert
they led the team in scoring at 11 ppg and took their team to their first playoffs final since 1990 where they lost to a powerful Fenerbahce team 4-2. On June 20, Ermal agreed to a two year contract to play again for his former team Efes Pilsen.
, which gave him the opportunity to compete in the highest level competitions, such as EuroBasket
and World Championships. After playing for the Turkish side in two European Championships and a World Championship, in 2010 he decided to ask FIBA to grant him permission to play for his native country of Albania. He led Albania in scoring in the summer of 2010 in FIBA's Division B games averaging 19 ppg
due to a dubious doping
violation, after taking a doctor-prescribed medicine Propecia that contains Finasteride
to prevent hair loss. The FIBA committee decided that it was just an innocent mistake and no performance enhancing drug was involved, so Kuqo only got the minimum ban of 6 months, allowing him to return and play for Efes Pilsen on March 22, 2006. Finasteride had been one of the most discussed substances on the WADA prohibited substances list since it got included in January 2005 for its dubious effects as a masking agent for steroid use. But after numerous tests, and litigations, WADA decided to take the substance off its list on October 2008, thus clearing the name of over 40 athletes all over the world who served suspensions for the use of the hair loss medicine, among them Ermal.
. They have a son, named Luka and during the offseason they reside in Split, Croatia.
Korçë
Korçë is a city in southeastern Albania and the capital of the Korçë District. It has a population of around 105,000 people , making it the sixth largest city in Albania...
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
) is the most successful Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
n basketball player of all times. He currently plays for the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
side Anadolu Efes. Kuqo was a part of the Turkish national basketball team from 2004 until 2010, but now plays for the Albania national basketball team
Albania national basketball team
The Albanian national basketball team is the basketball side that represents Albania in international competitions.-2009 Roster:-History:...
.
His father Robert and uncle Artan are basketball idols in his home country Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. Kuqo came to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
when he was 15. He gained Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
citizenship in 1997 and because of Turkish laws had to change his last name to Kurtoğlu. He still uses his Turkish last name Kurtoğlu when he plays in the Turkish league, but in the Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
and other European competitions he plays as "Kuqo".
Professional career
At the age of 15, Kuqo started his professional career with the club FenerbahçeFenerbahçe Ülker
Fenerbahçe Ülker is the professional men's basketball department of Fenerbahçe S.K., a major multisport club based in Istanbul, Turkey. The department has been sponsored by the Ülker since 2006. In 2006 Fenerbahçe S.K...
. He played college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, Kansas
Fort Scott, Kansas
Fort Scott is a city in and the county seat of Bourbon County, Kansas, United States, south of Kansas City, on the Marmaton River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,087. It is the home of the Fort Scott National Historic Site and the Fort Scott National...
and Seminole State College
Seminole State College
Seminole State College is a state supported community college located in Seminole, Oklahoma that was founded as Seminole Junior College in 1931.-External links:*...
in Seminole, Oklahoma
Seminole, Oklahoma
Seminole is a city in Seminole County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,899 at the 2000 census. Seminole experienced a large population growth in the 1920s due to an oil boom...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. After junior college, Kuqo signed a Letter of Intent with Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
in the NCAA to play for the legendary Bobby Knight
Bobby Knight
-Indiana:When Indiana University was seeking a new coach in 1971, they turned to Knight. Knight was given the nickname "The General" by former University of Detroit and Detroit Pistons coach-turned-broadcaster Dick Vitale....
, but because of his previous European pro career, he got ruled ineligible. After that he decided to come back to Europe and continue his career with the famous dalmatian team KK Split
KK Split
KK Split , KK Split CO for sponsorship relations is a basketball club from Split, Croatia. Currently, KK Split competes in the A-1 Liga and Krešimir Ćosić Cup.-History:...
(ex-Jugoplastika). After a frustrating season with the Žuti
KK Split
KK Split , KK Split CO for sponsorship relations is a basketball club from Split, Croatia. Currently, KK Split competes in the A-1 Liga and Krešimir Ćosić Cup.-History:...
he finally had his breakout season with the Slovenian club KK Pivovarna Laško, averaging almost 13 ppg and 7 rpg in the Adriatic League. In the summer of 2003 Ermal signed a two year contract with the Turkish powerhouse Efes Pilsen, coached by Oktay Mahmuti
Oktay Mahmuti
Oktay Mahmuti is a Turkish professional basketball coach. Mahmuti was born to Turkish parents living in Skopje. Mahmuti graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Pharmacy...
, where he had an immediate impact both in the Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
as well as in the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
domestic league, establishing himself as one of the premier players of the Turkish champions. At the end of 2007-2008 season Kuqo signed a two year deal with Pamesa Valencia. He had a very up and down and inconsistent season, especially after Neven Spahija took over from Fotis Katsikaris
Fotis Katsikaris
Fotis Katsikaris is a Greek professional basketball coach, currently the head coach of the Liga ACB and Euroleague club Bilbao Berri....
in mid November. Most of the time coach Spahija preferred Kosta Perovic
Kosta Perovic
Kosta Perović is a Serbian professional basketball player. In the 2006 NBA Draft he was a second-round selection of the NBA's Golden State Warriors, with whom he signed on August 3, 2007. A center, Perović was the tallest player taken in the 2006 NBA Draft...
and Matt Nielsen playing together and was considering Kuqo to be a surplus to requirements. In late January he suffered a calf injury that put a stop to his playing time for at least a month, and that took Ermal out of the rotation. Even though he started the pre-season preparation with Valencia the next year, Kuqo and the team decided to part ways in early September and Kuqo after that signed a contract to come back to Efes Pilsen. But he came to the team late in October and found himself mainly sitting on the bench as Efes Pilsen's coach had plenty of centers to play with, among them Mario Kasun
Mario Kasun
Mario Kasun is a Croatian professional basketball player. Currently he is a member of Croatian club KK Zagreb.-Pro career:...
, Daniel Santiago
Daniel Santiago
Daniel Gregg Santiago is a American-Puerto Rican professional basketball player, currently playing at the center position for the Capitanes de Arecibo in Puerto Rico. Santiago is the fourth player from Puerto Rico to play in a NBA game...
, Kaya Peker, Bostjan Nachbar. After two very frustrating seasons, his old coach Oktay Mahmuti
Oktay Mahmuti
Oktay Mahmuti is a Turkish professional basketball coach. Mahmuti was born to Turkish parents living in Skopje. Mahmuti graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Pharmacy...
knocked on Ermal's door offering him a contract to play for Galatasaray Spor Kulubu, offer which Ermal immediately accepted.
Since early in his career, Kuqo has developed into a monster under the basket. Although he is a little bit undersized for the center position he makes up for it with his uncanny instincts and great fundamentals on the low block. He is also a serious threat from the three-point line that can surprise opponents. His back-to-the-basket game gets better and better every season with an array of different finishing techniques. He had a chance to show his best self playing for Galatasaray
Galatasaray
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü is a Turkish sports club based in Istanbul, most notable for its football section, also known as Galatasaray S.K.. It also fields teams in Athletics, Basketball, Wheelchair basketball, Volleyball, Water polo, Swimming, Rowing, Sailing, Judo, Bridge, Equestrian, Handball,...
in 2010-2011 season where together with Preston Shumpert
Preston Shumpert
Mert Shumpert or Preston Anthony Shumpert is an American-Turkish professional basketball player currently playing for Turkish club Galatasaray....
they led the team in scoring at 11 ppg and took their team to their first playoffs final since 1990 where they lost to a powerful Fenerbahce team 4-2. On June 20, Ermal agreed to a two year contract to play again for his former team Efes Pilsen.
- 1993-95
SK TiranaSK TiranaKF Tirana is the most successful Albanian football club earning 47 major trophies in the country and is branch of Multiple Sport Klub of Tirana . KF Tirana is the most popular football club in the country with a considerable number of supporters... - 1995-99
FenerbahçeFenerbahçe ÜlkerFenerbahçe Ülker is the professional men's basketball department of Fenerbahçe S.K., a major multisport club based in Istanbul, Turkey. The department has been sponsored by the Ülker since 2006. In 2006 Fenerbahçe S.K... - 1999-00
Fort Scott Community CollegeFort Scott Community CollegeFort Scott Community College is a two-year institution of higher learning based in Fort Scott, Kansas, with satellite buildings in other cities in Crawford County, including Pittsburg and Frontenac, along with sites in Paola and at Fort Scott High School. It is the oldest community college in... - 2000-01 Seminole State CollegeSeminole State CollegeSeminole State College is a state supported community college located in Seminole, Oklahoma that was founded as Seminole Junior College in 1931.-External links:*...
- 2001-02
KK SplitKK SplitKK Split , KK Split CO for sponsorship relations is a basketball club from Split, Croatia. Currently, KK Split competes in the A-1 Liga and Krešimir Ćosić Cup.-History:... - 2002-03
KK Pivovarna Laško - 2003-08 Efes Pilsen
- 2008-09
Valencia Basket - 2009-10 Efes Pilsen
- 2010-11 Galatasaray Café CrownGalatasaray Café CrownGalatasaray Medical Park is a professional basketball team based in the city of Istanbul in Turkey. It is a part of the Galatasaray Sports Club.Galatasaray play matches in Abdi İpekçi Arena which has a seating capacity for 12,500 spectators...
- 2011-... Anadolu Efes
National team
In 2004 summer, facing a choice of national teams he selected TurkeyTurkey national basketball team
The Turkish national basketball team is the basketball section that represents Turkey in international competitions. The team is nicknamed "12 Dev Adam" ....
, which gave him the opportunity to compete in the highest level competitions, such as EuroBasket
Eurobasket
The EuroBasket, also referred to as the FIBA European Basketball Championship, is the main basketball competition contested biennially by the men's national teams governed by FIBA Europe, the European zone within the International Basketball Federation. The championship was first held in 1935 and...
and World Championships. After playing for the Turkish side in two European Championships and a World Championship, in 2010 he decided to ask FIBA to grant him permission to play for his native country of Albania. He led Albania in scoring in the summer of 2010 in FIBA's Division B games averaging 19 ppg
Suspension
Kuqo was suspended for a period of 6 months after failing a doping test at EuroBasket 2005Eurobasket 2005
The EuroBasket 2005 was held in Serbia and Montenegro between 16 September and 25 September 2005. Greece won the gold medal by defeating Germany, while France won the bronze medal over Spain...
due to a dubious doping
Doping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
violation, after taking a doctor-prescribed medicine Propecia that contains Finasteride
Finasteride
Finasteride is a synthetic antiandrogen that inhibits type II 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone...
to prevent hair loss. The FIBA committee decided that it was just an innocent mistake and no performance enhancing drug was involved, so Kuqo only got the minimum ban of 6 months, allowing him to return and play for Efes Pilsen on March 22, 2006. Finasteride had been one of the most discussed substances on the WADA prohibited substances list since it got included in January 2005 for its dubious effects as a masking agent for steroid use. But after numerous tests, and litigations, WADA decided to take the substance off its list on October 2008, thus clearing the name of over 40 athletes all over the world who served suspensions for the use of the hair loss medicine, among them Ermal.
Personal life
Ermal is married to Croatian citizen Marijana Kuqo (Mijuskovic) from SplitSplit (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
. They have a son, named Luka and during the offseason they reside in Split, Croatia.
Awards/Achievements
- Albanian Junior Championship Champion - '94
- Turkish Cup Finalist -'99 (Fenerbahce)
- Croatian Cup Final Semifinals -'02
- Slovenian League All-Star Game -'03
- Slovenian Cup Semifinals -'03
- Slovenian League Semifinals -'03
- Turkish President's Cup Finalist -'03, '04, '08
- Turkish President Cup Winner - '05, '06,'09
- Turkish League Regular season Champion -'04, '05, '09
- Turkish League Champion - '04, '05
- Turkish National Team - '04, '05, '06, '07
- Turkish League All-Stars Game - '05, '07, '08, '11 (did not participate due to injury)
- Turkish Cup Winner - '06, '07
- Turkish League Regular season Runner-Up - '06, '07, '11
- Turkish League Finalist - '06, '07, '10, '11
- Eurobasket.com All-Turkish League Center of the Year - '11
- Eurobasket.com All-Turkish League 1st Team - '11
- Eurobasket.com Turkish League All-Domestic Players Team - '11
- ACB Copa del Rey Quarterfinals - 09
- Euroleague Quarterfinals - '05, '06
- EuroCup Final Eight, Turin - '09
- Mediterranean Games - '05
- European Championships in Belgrade - '05: 4 games: 7.0ppg, 2.3rpg, 0.8apg, FGP: 59.1%, FT: 100%
- World Championships in Japan - '06: 9 games: 7.9ppg, 2.2rpg, 1.6apg, 2FGP: 36%, 3FGP: 21.4%, FT: 70%
- European Championships in Spain - '07: 6 games: 3.2ppg, 1.3rpg
- Albanian National Team - '10, '11
- Qualifications for European Championships Division B 2010-11: 7 games: 19.4ppg, 7.4rpg, 2.3apg, 2ptFGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 36.2%, FT: 82.6%