Mehmet Murat Okur is a Turkish retired professional basketball player. Listed at, he played as a power forward and center. He was known for his three-point shooting and ability to space the floor. In his 7 seasons with the Utah Jazz, Mehmet Okur emerged as one of the premier shooting players in the NBA. From 2004-10 Okur displayed a talent for making big shots in pressure situations - earning him the nickname of "The Money Man" and "Memo is Money" amongst Jazz fans. On 13 September 2016, Okur was named a player development coach for the Phoenix Suns, becoming the first Turkish citizen to enter the coaching world in the NBA.
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 2002–03 to 2003–04, 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 Utah Jazz.
Utah Jazz
Standing and 290 lbs, Okur played the center and power forward positions for the Utah Jazz. In his first season with Utah, he played in all 82 games, starting in 25 of them. Nicknamed "Memo", Okur made his presence felt during his second 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 were selected as replacements for injured original members Allen Iverson 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. 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, 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.
Türk Telekom Ankara
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.
On 22 December 2011, Okur was traded to the New Jersey Nets for a 2015 second round pick. This reunited him with former Jazz teammate, PG Deron Williams, who was traded to the Nets the previous season.
Before working as a coach, Okur was an ambassador for the Utah Jazz from 2014 to August 2016. On 13 September 2016, Okur agreed to a deal that made him one of the newest player development coaches for the Phoenix Suns. 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, 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 and former coach Tyrone Corbin, 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 would be fired alongside assistant coach Nate Bjorkgren and fellow player development coach Jason Fraser on 22 October 2017. The sudden firing would come 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 finalist Yeliz Çalışkan. They have a daughter, Melisa, born on 21 March 2007, and two sons, Yiğit Mehmet, born on 19 February 2010, and Mert Mehmet Okur, born on 19 November 2014.
