'Wolves to play in Turkey

LAS VEGAS — The NBA announced Saturday that the Minnesota Timberwolves would open training camp next season in Istanbul, Turkey — and play an exhibition game against Efes Pilsen, the first-ever NBA game held in that country.

Jazz All-Star Mehmet Okur on Sunday let it be known he was more than a little let down by the news.

"I don't know what to say about that," said Okur, a native of Turkey who played for Efes Pilsen before joining the Detroit Pistons in 2002. "I'm kind of disappoint(ed) right now. I mean, imagine — I'm from Turkey and some other team is going to Turkey instead of our team."

"I don't know (why). Maybe in the future. Why not?"

The NBA supposedly wanted the Jazz and Russian forward Andrei Kirilenko to open camp in Russia last season as well, but instead the Los Angeles Clippers wound up there.

Utah had planned to hold its 2004 trip in Russia, but the trip was canceled due to security concerns at the time. The Jazz's last international game in a non-NBA city came in 2003, vs. Dallas at Mexico City.

As for NBA fans in Turkey, Okur suggested they'll welcome the Timberwolves with open arms.

"They're still excited," he said, "because one NBA team and their one superstar, Kevin Garnett, they're ... gonna play against my old team."

ONE THE SIDELINE: Jazz power forward Carlos Boozer — a Western Conference reserve unable to play in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game because of hairline fracture in his left fibula bone — watched from the bench wearing a white suit and black shirt.

Boozer — who spent part of halftime talking on his cellphone — was introduced before the game, but didn't join healthy teammates on a special stage used by singer Wayne Newton, several Las Vegas showgirls and the game's healthy stars.

Boozer was not made available to the media after the game.

THE BETTER HALF: Okur shared credit for his first NBA All-Star Game appearance with his wife Yeliz, a former Miss Turkey who is eight months pregnant with the couple's first child.

"She also is part of this," he said. "She always spoke with me about, 'Stay focused, keep work(ing) hard every day.' "

Okur also said he didn't run into any of the many big-name stars in Vegas over the weekend.

Not even Carrot Top, who was in the crowd Sunday.