Memo’ dan bir ucluk! Memo’ dan bir ucluk!

By Kyle Flanagan

Roughly translated: Memo for three!

You can bet that every time the Turkish NBA all-star knocks down a clutch three-pointer to give the Jazz a lead, millions of people in Mehmet Okur’s home country of Turkey are screaming right along with Jazz PA announcer Dan Roberts: Memo’ dan bir ucluk!

Born in Yalova, Turkey in 1979, Okur was just another face in a crowd. He could walk to the market in downtown Yalova in his younger years and no one would think twice about it.

Of course that was before the 6-11 sharp-shooting center became a basketball icon to the people of Turkey. With a five year Turkish professional basketball career to go along with his five years of NBAS stardom on his resume, Okur now draws a crowd of autograph seekers every time he returns home to visit, each fan trying to catch a glimpse of the man who holds four Turkish National Titles in the Turkish Basketball League.

“On the court or off the court, they (the Turkish people) try to support me.” Okur said. “We have such a really hard job here, they know we play almost 100 games every year and they just try to congratulate me.”

More than 6,000 miles away from the Energy Solutions Arena are more Okur fans per capita than anywhere else in the world, each of them anxious for the next Memo update from America. Most Okur fans in Turkey visit the official Mehmet Okur website, www.memo13.com to get updates of their star. In fact, the one-time NBA all-star does his best to ensure that his website is updated with stories and pictures on almost a daily basis. A photographer is even present at every Jazz home game capturing pictures of Okur for the website, ensuring that no classic Memo moment goes un-noticed.

“I have guys back in Turkey and I try to keep in touch with them after every game about what I am doing here on the court and off the court.” Okur said. “I try to send them pictures after every game.”

Okur first made name for himself as a member of the 22 and under Turkish National team at the 1997 World Championships and after participating in the 22 and under European Championships in 1998, Okur was on his way to stardom in the Turkish professional leagues.

Okur made his presence felt for good in his final season in professional basketball in Turkey. After joining the Efes Pilsen Turkish team in the 2001-2002 season, Okur and his teammates captured the Turkish League Championship. In the finals Okur averaged 7.1 points and 9.0 rebounds, good enough to earn the finals MVP.

With an impressive and successful basketball career in Turkey, Okur took his game to the next level as the thirty-eighth overall pick of the Detroit Pistons in the 2001 draft.

While in Detroit, Okur played in 143 games for the Pistons and contributed to the Detroit Championship run in 2004, averaging just over seven points per game during his time in Detroit.

Now that he has become a staple to the Jazz organization Okur’s celebrity has continued to increase in his home country of Turkey. The Turkish interest in the Jazz big man has led to continuous notice from his native land.

Okur is such an important figure to the people of his home country that recently the Secretary of Sports for Turkey, Mr. Murat Basesgioglu, travelled to Salt Lake City to visit sites of the 2002 Olympics in preparation for the 2011 Olympics being held in Turkey. While in town, Basesgioglu surprised Okur by taking in the Jazz game against Okur’s former team, the Detroit Pistons.

“To see the sports minister and his staff here was nice.” Okur told his website. “They are also lucky because they will be watching a top quality NBA game. I will do my best to have him leave happy and I hope that we can win the game.”

Okur did his best, and then some, as he responded to the visit from Basesgioglu by playing a critical part in the Jazz’s 18 point comeback, knocking down three long range shots in the last two minutes of the game to help give the Jazz a much needed 103-95 victory over his former team.

“I felt really great and we had a chance to talk about what’s going on in Turkish basketball and Turkish sports.” Okur added. “I am happy that we won and that I was able to make our Sports Minister happy.”

Basesgioglu knows what Okur means to the country of Turkey and is pleased with the success that Okur has enjoyed while in America.

“Memo played an excellent game, I was very proud to have a chance to watch him as a Turk and as a basketball fan.” Basesgioglu told Okur’s website. “I have also seen how much he is loved here which has also made me very happy.”

Perhaps the next time Okur cashes in on a long range jumper, the fans at the Energy Solutions Arena will stand and yell right along with the millions of Turkish fans: Mehmet’ dan bir ucluk!