Okur, and Turkey's other NBA player Hedo Turkoglu, had to miss the biggest basketball show on earth after a hard campaign in America with the Utah Jazz and Orlando Magic, respectively.
Never mind that they had devoted themselves to the game in Turkey in previous years,
 | ||||
| Hidayet Turkoglu is another NBA player who missed last years World Championship in Japan. | ||||
Cynics came out in droves.
There may as well have been a banner that stretched from the Blue Mosque to Hamamatsu which said: "Okur and Turkoglu are NBA players, now. They won't play for Turkey."
Okur heard the jibes, and it hurt.
"I spent all of my summers since I was 14 with the Turkish National Teams at different age groups and the A team," he said.
"I only missed it last time because of my injuries. I would have liked to be at the World Championship, of course.
"But, I thought I wouldn't be too much help with my injuries and wanted to be excused."
Turkey, going into the expanded 24-team FIBA World Championship - arguably the most important basketball tournament of all time - didn't have Okur.
"Everybody thought different things about me," he said.
"I was accused of not wanting to play. I was criticised a lot. Some of my teammates might have thought so as well. (But) I am not angry at anybody."
Okur and Turkoglu, in truth, did Turkish basketball a huge favour.
That particular group of players who competed in Japan thrived in their absence.
Okur and Turkoglu may as well have travelled to Istanbul before the departure of the team to the Far East and placed 12 chips on the shoulders of the National Team players with the words 'second choice'.
Each and every Turkey player fought as if they had a point to prove, that they were good enough.
They finished second to Greece in Group C before defeating Slovenia and reaching the quarter-finals.
Okur, because of the rest, had his most productive year in the NBA, making the Western Conference All-Star team.
Now he is back with the national side to play in this summer's EuroBasket.
He wants to set the record straight.
"We are here for the National Team and we have to think that only," he said.
"I wanted to be there in Japan, while watching the World Championship. I was with the National Teams for the last 12 to 13 years.
"I was worried a lot. An injury is the worst thing you can have in your sporting life. I feel good right now, I got rid of my injuries totally.
"I feel very eager and ready right now."
There is no doubting the dynamic of Turkey will change with Okur.
He will, naturally one would think, be the focal point of the attack.
The challenge for National Team coach Bogdan Tanjevic will be to blend him in with the team of warriors who fought so hard in Japan.
"I missed the national uniform," Okur said to the Milliyet Daily Newspaper.
"The fans will see a very different Mehmet Okur at Spain 2007.
"Mehmet Okur will jump at everything there, blindly, fight like a warrior, and will do everything he can do for the National Team."
