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If Okur never ruptured his Achilles, might he still be in the NBA? The league became full of floor-spacing big men as the 2010’s progressed, which could have kept Okur around as a spot-up shooting in his late 30’s. This eventually brought Damian Lillard to Rip City, while Okur was waived immediately after the deal.Īfter this Turkish player hitting waivers, he never played in the NBA again, ending his career at age 22. He then got traded in the 2011 offseason (December 2011, due to the strike-shortened season) to the New Jersey Nets, played in 17 games and became a trade chip in the Gerald Wallace deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. In the 2010-11 season, Okur returned for 13 games but shot just 35 percent from the field. He ruptured his Achilles in the 2010 playoffs, basically ending his run in the league. This included averaging 37 percent from beyond the arc through 10 NBA seasons.Īt age 31, Okur’s career spiraled downward. He wasn’t a prototypical center for that era of the NBA, being more of a stretch four at 6-foot-11. Mehmet OkurĪfter a promising two-year stint with the Detroit Pistons, Mehmet Okur joined the Utah Jazz in 2004. There were even higher profile names before and after him, however.ĭENVER, CO – APRIL 17 : Mehmet Okur / 6.
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Laettner is still remembered for having a solid NBA career, something that had the chance to be better if not for the Achilles injury that changed him at age 29. It was enough to be an above-average role player on the Mavericks and Wizards, though. He only averaged double-digit points once for the rest of his career, but still managed to keep rebound and shot percentage statistics in tact.
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Laettner struggled to return to form for the rest of his career. It led to him playing just 16 games in the 1998-99 season, which was the start of a downfall for his NBA career. For the first half, it saw Laettner become a consistent scorer in the NBA, averaging at least 16 points per game in his first five seasons.ĭuring the 1998 offseason, Laettner tore his Achilles in a pickup basketball game. He lasted from 1992-2005, playing with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards and Miami Heat. However, Laettner had a successful NBA career. If anything, this status still stands among the history of college basketball. Christian LaettnerĬhristian Laettner was one of the most hated players in college basketball at Duke. CLEVELAND – MARCH 6: Christian Laettner / 7.