Former Piston Mehmet Okur retires from basketball

Plagued by injuries toward the end of his career, former Detroit Pistons' big man Mehmet Okur retired from professional basketball on Wednesday, according to a report by ESPN.com.

After being selected with the 37th overall pick by the Pistons in the 2001 NBA Draft, the 6'11 Okur went on to play a key role off the bench on Detroit's 2004 NBA championship team in his second year in the league. He was then lured away by a six-year, $50 million contract from the Utah Jazz later that summer, and wasted little time taking on a starring role in the Western Conference for seven productive seasons.

Okur's career hit a crossroads after he missed six months with ruptured Achilles' tendon in 2010, and he never was able to regain the same type of athleticism following the injury. Also a member of the 2007 All-Star team in addition to winning an NBA title, Okur finished his 10-year career with averages of 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists.