Mehmet Murat Okur (born 26 May 1979) is a Turkish former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player. Listed at ,NBA Player Profile
/ref> he played as a

power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to centers. When on offense, they typically play with their ba ...

and

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

. Okur is known for his three-point shooting and ability to space the floor. In his seven seasons with the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

, he emerged as a talented shooter in the NBA. From 2004 to 2010, he displayed a talent for making big shots in pressure situations, earning him the nickname of "The Money Man" and "Memo is Money" among Jazz fans. Okur was also the first Turkish player in NBA history to win a

NBA championship The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...

with the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...

in 2004 In 2016, Okur was named a player development coach for the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

, becoming the first Turkish citizen to enter the coaching world in the NBA.

Early career

Okur notes

Toni Kukoč Toni Kukoč, nicknamed ''“The Waiter”'' (; born September 18, 1968) is a Croatian-American former professional basketball player who serves as Special Advisor to Jerry Reinsdorf, the owner of the Chicago Bulls. After a highly successful perio ...

was his favorite player while he was growing up.NBA.com: Mehmet Okur Biography
Retrieved 18 February 2007 He helped the Turkish 22-and-under national team to 6th place at the 1997 world championship. He was transferred to Efes Pilsen (now known as

Anadolu Efes Anadolu Efes Biracılık ve Malt Sanayii A.Ş.''(lit. Anadolu Efes Brewery and Malt Industries)'' produces and markets beer and malt and non-alcoholic beverages in a wide geographical area comprising Turkey, Russia, the Commonwealth of Independe ...

) in 2000 and won a championship in the 2001–2002

Turkish Basketball League Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

season.Turkish Basketball League history
Retrieved 18 February 2007 He averaged 13.5 points per game during his last season in Turkey.TBLstat.net: Mehmet Okur
Retrieved 18 February 2007

Professional career

Detroit Pistons (2002–2004)

Okur was selected 38th overall in the second round of the 2001 NBA Draft by the

. He played two seasons for the Pistons from 2002–03 to 2003–04, helping Detroit win the

in June 2004. He became the first Turkish player to win an NBA championship. Due to

salary cap In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Sever ...

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$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

50 million contract with the

Utah Jazz (2004–2011)

Standing and 290 lbs (132 kg), Okur played the

and

positions for the

. In his first season (2004–2005) with Utah, he played in all 82 games, starting in 25 of them. Nicknamed "Memo", Okur made his presence felt during his second (2005–2006) season with Utah, increasing his scoring average from 12.9 points per game the previous season to 18.0 points per game. He started in all 82 games for the second straight season, the only Utah Jazz player to do so. In his third season, he continued to be a key player for Utah. He was named to the Western Conference All-Star team for the 2007 NBA All-Star Game. He and

Ray Allen Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in ...

were selected as replacements for injured original members

Allen Iverson Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iver ...

and Steve Nash. He was the first Turkish player to participate in this event. On Monday, 12 January 2009, Okur established a new career high in points scored when he scored 43 points against the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...

. On 10 July 2009 Okur signed a two-year contract extension reportedly worth approximately $21 million. On 17 April 2010, Okur ruptured his Achilles' tendon during the first game of the post-season against the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

, eliminating him from the remainder of the NBA playoffs, as well as the World Basketball Championships in his native Turkey later that summer. He returned on 17 December 2010 and scored 2 points against the

New Orleans Hornets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

Türk Telekom Ankara (2011)

In September 2011, Okur signed a contract with Türk Telekom B.K. His contract had an out-clause, which allowed him to return to the NBA when the 2011 NBA lockout was resolved.

New Jersey Nets (2011–2012)

On 22 December 2011, Okur was traded to the

New Jersey Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

for a 2015 second round pick. This reunited him with former Jazz teammate, PG

Deron Williams Deron Michael Williams ( ; born June 26, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini before being drafted third overall in the 2005 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz. A thr ...

, who was traded to the Nets the previous season. On 15 March 2012, Okur was traded to the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

along with

Shawne Williams Shawne Brian Williams (born February 16, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Memphis before being selected 17th overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers. High ...

and a 2012 1st round draft pick in exchange for

Gerald Wallace Gerald Jermaine Wallace (born July 23, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Crash", he was named an NBA All-Star and voted to the NBA All-Defensive First Team while with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2010. He played ...

. He was waived by Portland on 21 March 2012. Later in 2012, Okur decided to retire from basketball, citing injuries. In Okur's final 2 years in the league, he only played 30 games total. His final game being on January 25th, 2012 where he recorded 11 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in a 97 - 90 win over the 76ers.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

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Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, 72 , , 9 , , 19.0 , , .426 , , .339 , , .733 , , 4.7 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , .5 , , 6.9 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", † , align="left" ,

, 71 , , 33 , , 22.3 , , .463 , , .375 , , .775 , , 5.9 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .9 , , 9.6 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, 82 , , 25 , , 28.1 , , .468 , , .270 , , .850 , , 7.5 , , 2.0 , , .4 , , .8 , , 12.9 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 82 , , 82 , , 35.9 , , .460 , , .342 , , .780 , , 9.1 , , 2.4 , , .5 , , .9 , , 18.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 80 , , 80 , , 33.3 , , .462 , , .384 , , .765 , , 7.2 , , 2.0 , , .5 , , .5 , , 17.6 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 72 , , 72 , , 33.2 , , .445 , , .388 , , .804 , , 7.7 , , 2.0 , , .8 , , .4 , , 14.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 72 , , 72 , , 33.5 , , .485 , , .446 , , .817 , , 7.7 , , 1.7 , , .8 , , .7 , , 17.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 73 , , 73 , , 29.4 , , .458 , , .385 , , .820 , , 7.1 , , 1.6 , , .5 , , 1.1 , , 13.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 13 , , 0 , , 12.9 , , .355 , , .313 , , .750 , , 2.3 , , 1.5 , , .3 , , .3 , , 4.9 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, 17 , , 14 , , 26.7 , , .374 , , .319 , , .600 , , 4.8 , , 1.8 , , .5 , , .3 , , 7.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 634, , 460, , 29.1 , , .458 , , .375 , , .797 , , 7.0 , , 1.7 , , .5 , , .7 , , 13.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 1 , , 0 , , 15.0 , , 1.000 , , .000 , , .000 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 4.0 NBA.com: Mehmet Okur
Retrieved 19 May 2009

Playoffs

, - , align="left" , 2003 , align="left" ,

, 17 , , 0 , , 19.0 , , .438 , , .538 , , .531 , , 4.1 , , .8 , , .7 , , .7 , , 5.5 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;" , 2004† , align="left" ,

, 22 , , 0 , , 11.5 , , .470 , , .400 , , .692 , , 2.8 , , .4 , , .2 , , .4 , , 3.7 , - , align="left" , 2007 , align="left" ,

, 17 , , 17 , , 34.4 , , .388 , , .316 , , .786 , , 7.8 , , 1.8 , , 1.4 , , .9 , , 11.8 , - , align="left" , 2008 , align="left" ,

, 12 , , 12 , , 38.5 , , .423 , , .373 , , .773 , , 11.8 , , 1.9 , , .7 , , .7 , , 15.4 , - , align="left" , 2009 , align="left" ,

, 2 , , 2 , , 21.5 , , .167 , , .333 , , .750 , , 5.0 , , 2.0 , , .0 , , .5 , , 4.0 , - , align="left" ,

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, 1 , , 1 , , 11.0 , , 1.000 , , 1.000 , , 1.000 , , 2.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 7.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 71 , , 32 , , 23.6 , , .415 , , .362 , , .713 , , 5.9 , , 1.1 , , .7 , , .6 , , 8.1

Coaching career

Before working as a coach, Okur was an ambassador for the

from 2014 to August 2016. On 13 September 2016, he agreed to a deal that made him one of the newest player development coaches for the

. Okur would soon become the first Turkish-born coach to ever be a part of an NBA coaching staff in some capacity. With the earlier hiring of Canadian

Jay Triano A jay is a member of a number of species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the Crow family, Corvidae. The evolutionary relationships between the jays and the magpies are rather complex. For example, the Eurasian m ...

, it would also mark the first time that two foreign-born coaches would take part in participating in the Suns' coaching staff at the same time. He would also be reunited with his former teammate

Earl Watson Earl Joseph Watson Jr. (born June 12, 1979) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA ...

and former coach

Tyrone Corbin Tyrone Kennedy Corbin (born December 31, 1962) is an American former basketball player and assistant coach for the Charlotte Hornets. He was first appointed the assistant coach of the Phoenix Suns, then was named the Utah Jazz’s head coach, on Fe ...

, although their roles would be different with Watson being the head coach and Corbin being an assistant coach. After seeing slight improvements in his first season as a player development coach, Okur was fired alongside assistant coach

Nate Bjorkgren Nate Bjorkgren (; born June 20, 1975) is an American basketball coach, currently an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the University of South Dakota and Buena ...

and fellow player development coach Jason Fraser on 22 October 2017. The sudden firing came after the Suns had some very poor performances to start out their 50th anniversary season, leading to a 0–3 start to their season.

Personal life

He is married to actress and former

Miss Turkey Miss Turkey ( tr, Türkiye Güzellik Kraliçesi) is a national beauty pageant in Turkey. The pageant was founded in 1929, where the winners titled as Miss Turkey Universe, Miss Turkey World and Miss Turkey Supranational. History Miss Turk ...

finalist Yeliz Çalışkan. They have a daughter, Melisa, born on 21 March 2007, and two sons, Yiğit Mehmet Okur, born on 19 February 2010, and Mert Mehmet Okur, born on 19 November 2014. He and his family currently live in San Diego, California.

References

External links

Basketball-Reference.com: Mehmet Okur

NBA Player ProfileOfficial Homepage

TurkSports.Net Mehmet Okur

Player Profile
@ Euroleague.net
TBLStat.net Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okur, Mehmet 1979 births Living people 2002 FIBA World Championship players Anadolu Efes S.K. players Centers (basketball) Detroit Pistons draft picks Detroit Pistons players National Basketball Association All-Stars National Basketball Association players from Turkey New Jersey Nets players Oyak Renault basketball players Sportspeople from Yalova Phoenix Suns assistant coaches Power forwards (basketball) Tofaş S.K. players Turkish expatriate basketball people in the United States Turkish men's basketball players Türk Telekom B.K. players Utah Jazz players