Last Updated on April 14, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
Mehmet Murat Okur, commonly known as Mehmet Okur, is a retired Turkish professional basketball player celebrated for his exceptional three-point shooting and floor-spacing abilities. Standing at 6 feet 11 inches (211 cm) and weighing 249 pounds (112 kg), he played as both a power forward and center during his career.
Player Profile
- Full Name: Mehmet Murat Okur
- Nationality: Turkish
- Date of Birth: May 26, 1979
- Hometown: Yalova, Turkey
- Height: 6 feet 11 inches (211 cm)
- Weight: 249 pounds (112 kg)
- Position: Power Forward / Center
- Jersey Number: 13
- High School: Information not publicly available
- College: Information not publicly available
- NBA Draft: Selected in the 2nd round, 38th overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 2001 NBA Draft
- Teams Played For:
- Detroit Pistons (2002–2004)
- Utah Jazz (2004–2010)
- New Jersey Nets (2010–2011)
- NBA Championship Rings: 1 (2004 with the Detroit Pistons)
- Career Highlights:
-
- Named to the NBA All-Star team in 2007 as a member of the Utah Jazz
- Known for his three-point shooting and ability to space the floor
- First Turkish player in NBA history to win an NBA championship
- Spouse: Yeliz Çalışkan (married on July 7, 2004)
- Children: Daughter Melisa (born March 21, 2007), son Yiğit Mehmet (born February 19, 2010), and son Mert Mehmet (born November 19, 2014)
- Siblings: Information not publicly available
Coaching Career:
- In 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
Player Archetype / Play Style
Memo Okur was a skilled stretch big whose archetype blended traditional size with perimeter touch, making him one of the more offensive-minded centers of his era. Defensively, he was more positional than explosive, typically filling a team-defense role in the paint by using size and awareness to hold ground inside rather than functioning as a pure shot-blocking anchor. Offensively, he was far more distinctive: a floor-spacing center/power forward who could punish defenses with pick-and-pop shooting, mid-range touch, and inside-out scoring, while still giving value as a rebounder and secondary option in half-court sets. Physically, Okur stood 6-foot-11 and was listed around 260 pounds, giving him legitimate frontcourt size with enough skill to operate well away from the basket. In simple terms, his style was that of a smooth, finesse-oriented big man who stretched the floor, made big shots, and created matchup problems by forcing slower interior defenders to leave the paint. (Basketball Reference)
Sources:
Mehmet Okur Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and More — Basketball-Reference
Mehmet Okur | Center — NBA.com
Players – Utah Jazz — Utah Jazz