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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.
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