Deseret Morning News <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> BOISE ? When last season ended, Mehmet Okur vowed to return in better shape. It sure seems he's kept his promise. At 6-foot-11 and 249 pounds, the big man from Turkey looked like a relative jack rabbit when the Jazz held their first open scrimmage of training camp in front of a Thursday-night crowd of about 1,000 at Boise State University's Taco Bell Arena. In one sequence, Okur yielded a steal on the offensive end, sprinted back down the floor to pull down a fastbreak rebound, then headed back the other way with nary a huff or a puff. That probably would not have happened a season ago. "Like I told you," Okur said, "I've been working out all summer." Playing for the Turkish national team, Okur logged lots of minutes during the offseason. He also spent plenty of time lifting dumbbells and strengthening both his back and his abs. The result? Okur shed about three percent in body fat, leaving even Jazz coach Jerry Sloan quite impressed. "He's in a lot better shape," Sloan said, "than a year ago."</div> <div align="center">Source</div>
