Mehmet Okur
From Hoopedia
Mehmet Okur (born May 26, 1979 in Yalova, Turkey) is a Turkish professional basketball player who currently plays for the Utah Jazz of the NBA. He is married to former Miss Turkey and model Yeliz Caliskan, and they have a daughter, Melisa, born on March 21, 2007.
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Early Career
Okur is a product of the youth program of Efes Pilsen, one of Turkey's top clubs. Okur notes Toni Kukoč as his favorite player growing up. He helped the Turkish 22-and-under national team to 6th place at the 1997 world championship. Mehmet was transferred to Efes Pilsen in 2000 and won a championship in the 2001-2002 season. He averaged 13.5 points per game during his last season in Turkey.
NBA
Detroit Pistons
Okur was selected 38th overall in the second round of the 2001 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. He played two seasons for the Pistons from 2003 to 2004, helping Detroit win the NBA championship in June 2004. He became the first Turkish player to win an NBA championship. Due to salary cap limitations, the Pistons were unable to pay a top-level salary for Okur, but he was able to parlay his success into a six-year, US$50 million contract with the Jazz.
Utah Jazz
At 2.11 m (6'11") and 120 kg (263 lb), Okur plays the center and power forward positions for the Utah Jazz. He has inside presence, but also has a reliable jump shot extending to the three-point range and is a solid free throw shooter with an 80.7 career percentage. On his first season (2004-2005) with Utah, he played in all 82 games, starting in 25 of them. Nicknamed "Memo", Okur had made his presence felt on his second (2005-2006) season with Utah from 12.9 points per game the previous season to 18.0 points per game, leading his team in scoring and rebounding, making him one of the league's most improved players. He started in all 82 games for the second straight season, as the only Utah Jazz player doing so. This season, he continued being a key player for Utah. He has also improved his 3 point shot, and is known as a strong clutch player for the Jazz.
On March 13, Okur became the most prolific single season 3-point shooter in franchise history. He has missed two games this season snapping his streak (233 consecutive games).
All-Star
He was named to the Western Conference All-Star team for 2007 NBA All-Star Game. He and Ray Allen were selected as replacements for injured original members Allen Iverson and Steve Nash. He is the first Turkish player to participate in this event.
