Mehmet Okur has carved out a nice little niche for himself in the NBA since coming from his native Turkey in 2001. The Utah Jazz forward is now reportedly looking at going back to Europe, however, until the NBA lockout is resolved.
Mehmet Okur In Talks To Play In Turkey During NBA Lockout, According To Report
Okur is in talks with Fenerbahce Ulker in Istanbul, a team that last year housed former NBA players Sean May, Lynn Greer, Roko Ukic, Sarunas Jasikevicius and Tarence Kinsey, according to a report from Turkish basketball website MixBasket.
Okur would need to return to the Jazz upon the end of the lockout, per FIBA rules, since he’s still under contract with the Jazz for over $10 million through the upcoming NBA season. That apparently isn’t an issue for Fenerbahce, however, as the team is dealing with a couple of injuries that should be healed by the time Okur needs to return stateside.
It will be interesting to see how many other European players return to their native country to play for pay while staying close to family back home until the mess in the USA is sorted out.
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