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 | 1997–2011 | |||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 2015–present | |||||||||||||
| 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 26 May 1979) is a former professional basketball player from Turkey. He played as a power forward and center. He was known for his height of 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 meters).
Okur was very good at shooting three-point shots. He could also help spread out the defense on the court. During his seven seasons with the Utah Jazz, he became a skilled shooter in the NBA. From 2004 to 2010, he made many important shots when the game was close. This earned him the nicknames "the Money Man" and "Memo is Money" from Jazz fans.
Mehmet Okur was also the first Turkish player ever to win an NBA championship. He won it with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. After his playing career, Okur became a player development coach for the Phoenix Suns in 2016. This made him the first Turkish person to coach in the NBA.
Contents
Playing Basketball: Early Years
When Mehmet Okur was growing up, his favorite player was Toni Kukoč. Okur helped the Turkish national team for players aged 22 and under. They finished in 6th place at the 1997 world championship.
In 2000, he joined a team called Efes Pilsen, now known as Anadolu Efes. He helped them win a championship in the Turkish Basketball League during the 2001–2002 season. In his last season in Turkey, he scored an average of 13.5 points per game.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Detroit Pistons (2002–2004)
The Detroit Pistons chose Mehmet Okur as the 38th player in the 2001 NBA draft. He was picked in the second round. He played for the Pistons for two seasons, from 2002 to 2004.
On November 7, 2003, Okur helped the Pistons win against the Milwaukee Bucks. He had a career-high 18 rebounds and scored 12 points in that game. In June 2004, Okur helped Detroit win the NBA championship. He was the first Turkish player to achieve this.
After this success, the Pistons could not offer Okur a high salary because of league rules. So, Okur signed a six-year contract worth about US$50 million with the Utah Jazz.
Playing for the Utah Jazz (2004–2011)
Okur joined the Jazz on July 27, 2004. He played seven seasons with the team, which was most of his career. He was 6 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 290 pounds (132 kg). Okur played as a center and power forward for the Jazz.
In his first season with Utah (2004–2005), he played in all 82 games. He started in 25 of those games. Fans nicknamed him "Memo." In his second season (2005–2006), he became an even more important player. His scoring average went up from 12.9 points per game to 18.0 points per game. He started all 82 games for the second year in a row, being the only Jazz player to do so. He continued to be a key player for Utah in his third season.
He was chosen for the Western Conference All-Star team for the 2007 NBA All-Star Game. He and Ray Allen were picked to replace injured players. This made him the first Turkish player to be an NBA All-Star.
On January 12, 2009, Okur scored a career-high 43 points against the Indiana Pacers. The Jazz won that game 120–113. On July 10, 2009, Okur signed a new two-year contract with the Jazz. It was reportedly worth around $21 million.
On April 17, 2010, Okur tore his Achilles' tendon during the first game of the playoffs. This injury meant he could not play for the rest of the NBA playoffs. He also missed the World Basketball Championships in Turkey that summer. He returned to play on December 17, 2010, scoring 2 points.
Playing for Türk Telekom Ankara (2011)
In September 2011, Okur signed a contract with Türk Telekom B.K. in Turkey. His contract had a special rule that allowed him to return to the NBA. This would happen once the 2011 NBA lockout (a time when players and teams could not agree on rules) was over.
Playing for the New Jersey Nets (2011–2012)
On December 22, 2011, Okur was traded to the New Jersey Nets. He was traded for a future draft pick. This move brought him back together with his former Jazz teammate, Deron Williams. Okur played 17 games for the Nets. He averaged 7.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.
On March 15, 2012, Okur was traded again, this time to the Portland Trail Blazers. He was traded along with another player and a draft pick. He was then released by Portland on March 21, 2012.
Later in 2012, Mehmet Okur decided to retire from basketball. He had been dealing with injuries. In his last two years in the league, he only played a total of 30 games. His final game was on January 25, 2012. In that game, he scored 11 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and had 3 assists.
NBA Career Highlights
Mehmet Okur played 634 regular season games in the NBA. He averaged 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. In the playoffs, he played 71 games, averaging 8.1 points and 5.9 rebounds.
Coaching Career
Before becoming a coach, Okur worked as an ambassador for the Utah Jazz. He held this role from 2014 until 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. Another former coach, Tyrone Corbin, was also an assistant coach. After some difficult games at the start of the 2017 season, Okur was let go from his coaching role on October 22, 2017.
Personal Life
Mehmet Okur is married to Yeliz Çalışkan, who is an actress and was a finalist in the Miss Turkey competition. They have three children: a daughter named Melisa, born in 2007, and two sons, Yiğit Mehmet, born in 2010, and Mert Mehmet, born in 2014. Mehmet Okur 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
