Detroit Pistons Era:

Ocu was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 2001 NBA Draft with the 38th overall pick. he played for the Pistons in 2003 and 2004, helping the Pistons win the 2004 NBA Championship. He became the first Turkish player to win an NBA championship. The Pistons decided to waive him because of the salary cap, and he signed a six-year, $50 million deal with the Utah Jazz.

All-Star:

He was first named to the NBA All-Star Game roster in 2007. He and Ray Allen replaced Allen Iverson and Steve Nash, respectively, who withdrew due to injury. Oku became the first Turkish player to play in an NBA star game. He played 14 minutes in that game and had four points, two rebounds and an assist.

Feud with Yao Ming:

The Jazz were the Rockets' playoff foes in previous years, and Oku was an indelible mark on Yao's playoff career.

The Jazz sacrificed Oku's prowess on the offensive end of the court in order to contain Yao in the 2007 playoffs, which ultimately worked out well and eliminated the Rockets in a 4-3 thriller in the first round.

In that series, Oku looked like a defensive giant, having delivered four blocks in two consecutive games, with Yao and Matty falling victim. Under his tight defense, Yao at one point had only three pathetic shots in the second half and shot only 41 percent in the first three games of the series, knowing that he was a full 15 centimeters shorter than Yao.

Ocu did his best against Yao, straightening his body like a "1" and interfering with Yao's shots whenever the Little Giant chose to shoot a jumper.

Utah Jazz Era:

The 2.11-meter-tall Oku joined the Jazz as a center, but the inside player often stepped out to shoot 3-pointers and hit 80 percent of his free throws. He played in all 82 games in his first season with the Jazz. With injuries to teammates Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko plaguing him in his second season, Oku became a mainstay on the team, averaging 18 points, up five points from 12.9 the previous season. And he's become a big favorite to be the league's Most Improved Player.