Mehmet Okur facts for kids
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Okur with the Utah Jazz in 2010
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | 26 May 1979 Yalova, Turkey |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 249 lb (113 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2001 / Round: 2 / Pick: 38th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Detroit Pistons | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1997–2012 | |||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 2015–2017 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Oyak Renault | |||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Tofaş | |||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Efes Pilsen | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Detroit Pistons | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2011 | Utah Jazz | |||||||||||||
| 2011 | Türk Telekom | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | New Jersey Nets | |||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Phoenix Suns (player development) | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 8,561 (13.5 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 4,436 (7.0 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Assists | 1,089 (1.7 apg) | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Mehmet Murat Okur (born May 26, 1979) is a former professional basketball player from Turkey. He was a tall player, standing at 6 feet 11 inches. Mehmet played as a power forward and a center.
He was known for his great three-point shooting skills. This helped his team, the Utah Jazz, a lot. From 2004 to 2010, he was great at making important shots when the game was close. Because of this, Jazz fans called him "the Money Man" or "Memo is Money". Mehmet Okur was also the first Turkish player to win an NBA championship. He won it with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. After his playing career, Mehmet became a player development coach for the Phoenix Suns in 2016. This made him the first Turkish person to coach in the NBA.
Contents
Mehmet Okur's Early Basketball Days
When Mehmet Okur was growing up, his favorite player was Toni Kukoč. Mehmet helped the Turkish national team for players aged 22 and under. They finished 6th in the 1997 world championship. In 2000, he joined Efes Pilsen, which is now called Anadolu Efes. He helped them win a championship in the 2001–2002 Turkish Basketball League season. In his last season in Turkey, he scored about 13.5 points per game.
Playing in the NBA
Joining the Detroit Pistons (2002–2004)
The Detroit Pistons picked Mehmet Okur as the 38th player in the 2001 NBA draft. He played for the Pistons for two seasons. On November 7, 2003, Mehmet had a great game against the Milwaukee Bucks. He grabbed 18 rebounds, which was his career high, and scored 12 points. The Pistons won that game 105–99. In June 2004, Mehmet helped Detroit win the NBA championship. He was the first player from Turkey to win an NBA title. After this success, the Pistons could not pay him a very high salary. So, Mehmet signed a big contract with the Utah Jazz.
Playing for the Utah Jazz (2004–2011)
Mehmet Okur joined the Utah Jazz on July 27, 2004. He played seven seasons with them, which was most of his career. He was 6 feet 11 inches tall and weighed about 290 pounds. Mehmet played as a center and power forward for the Jazz. In his first season (2004–2005), he played in all 82 games. He started 25 of those games.
In his second season (2005–2006), Mehmet, nicknamed "Memo," became a very important player. He increased his scoring average from 12.9 points to 18.0 points per game. He started all 82 games that season, being the only Jazz player to do so. He continued to be a key player in his third season.
In 2007, Mehmet was chosen for the Western Conference All-Star team. He and Ray Allen replaced injured players Allen Iverson and Steve Nash. He was the first Turkish player to play in the NBA All-Star Game. On January 12, 2009, Mehmet scored a career-high 43 points against the Indiana Pacers. The Jazz won that game 120–113.
On April 17, 2010, Mehmet got a serious injury to his Achilles' tendon during a playoff game. This injury kept him out of the rest of the NBA playoffs. It also meant he could not play in the World Basketball Championships in Turkey that summer. He returned to play on December 17, 2010.
Later Career and Retirement (2011–2012)
In September 2011, Mehmet Okur signed a contract with Türk Telekom B.K. in Turkey. His contract allowed him to return to the NBA once the 2011 NBA lockout ended. On December 22, 2011, Mehmet was traded to the New Jersey Nets. There, he reunited with his former Jazz teammate, Deron Williams. Mehmet played 17 games for the Nets.
On March 15, 2012, Mehmet was traded again, this time to the Portland Trail Blazers. He was then released by Portland on March 21, 2012. Later in 2012, Mehmet decided to retire from basketball because of his injuries. In his last two years in the league, he played only 30 games in total. His final game was on January 25, 2012.
Coaching Career
Before becoming a coach, Mehmet Okur worked as an ambassador for the Utah Jazz. He did this from 2014 to August 2016. On September 13, 2016, he became a player development coach for the Phoenix Suns. This made him the first Turkish-born coach to be part of an NBA coaching staff. He worked with his former teammate Earl Watson, who was the head coach.
After some time, Mehmet was let go from his coaching role on October 22, 2017. This happened after the Suns had a tough start to their season.
Personal Life
Mehmet Okur is married to Yeliz Çalışkan, who is an actress and was a finalist in the Miss Turkey contest. They have three children. Their daughter, Melisa, was born on March 21, 2007. They have two sons, Yiğit Mehmet Okur, born on February 19, 2010, and Mert Mehmet Okur, born on November 19, 2014. Mehmet and his family live in San Diego, California.
See also
In Spanish: Mehmet Okur para niños
- List of European basketball players in the United States
- List of foreign NBA coaches
