After Controversial Giannis Take, Jusuf Nurkic Now Snubs Nikola Jokic & More in Absolute Shocker

We already know Jusuf Nurkic is not afraid to pull some punches on the hardwood. This time, while repping the national team, the 31-year-old did the same, but this time it was all verbal. At the receiving end was Giannis Antetokounmpo, not once but on multiple occasions, as their teams clashed at the EuroBasket. However, the Bosnian did not stop there, and in a recent video, he ignored not only Giannis but also Jokic and even some legends. But why?

During a conversation, the former Suns star was asked to pick between Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki. After just a moment to think, Nurkic chose the Spaniard. In fact, he was then asked to choose between the Gasol brothers. “See, you’re going to get me in trouble,” was the statement, before he picked the older Gasol. In fact, Pau never lost the battle even though the host threw in names of past legends and current superstars.

Toni Kukoc, Victor Wembanyama, Vlade Divac, Domantas Sabonis, Arvidas Sabonis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and finally Nikola Jokic did not stand a chance. The reason also stems from the fact that Jusuf Nurkic has spent some time with the Gasol brothers off the court. Just last year, he was present and spent some time at the Pau Gasol academy. Coaching the young generation alongside Phil Handy and Felipe Reyes, Nurkic also signed basketballs and shirts for the players.

The academy added the video last year,”😍🏀 What a great honor it was receiving you at the Academy, Nurk!!! And thank you for having a great gesture signing three basketball balls and shirts for our bosnian players. They will never forget it.” They did the same and added the video where the Bosnian selected Pau Gasol over several stars. “🥰 If we already loved Nurk, after watching this video by @sbb_uk we love him even more. We’d also have no doubt: @paugasol would always be our choice 👊”.

Naturally, the Gasol family reacted to it. Cat Gasol, the wife of the Lakers legend, dropped”😍😍😍😍😍” in the comment section. Meanwhile, the 2x NBA champion reshared the video on his story, with the caption, “Love brate, @bosnianbeast27!!“. Brate in Bosnian translates to Brother, which signifies the bond the two continue to form away from the hardwood. But this wholesome moment came at a time when the 31-year-old’s comment on Giannis had caused a storm online.

Despite Giannis’ dig, Jusuf Nurkic performs

As stated earlier, the two clashed at EuroBasket, where their teams had opposite results. Greece already sealed their berth to the next stage by being 3-0, while the Bosnia and Herzegovina team was 1-2. Before the match, Nurkic bluntly said Giannis “sucks” when he’s forced into half-court jump shots and taken out of transition. The Greek Freak missed the encounter due to injury, and the Jazz Center finished with an impressive double-double to keep his side’s qualification chances alive.

His 18 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists screamed an all-around performance. These were key to Bosnia evening their record to 2-2, and he moved into 10th place on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s all-time EuroBasket scoring list, surpassing Nihad Dedovic’s 142 points. Making him the only active NBA player among the country’s top 10 scorers in EuroBasket history. Even after the win, the 7-foot star made the headlines, as he felt that Giannis’s absence had less of an impact on the result.

“It didn’t change a lot,” said Nurkic on what changed when Giannis was ruled out. “We still had the same attachment to the defense and our offense. Regardless of who wants to play there, you have to have the same discipline.” It’s the same discipline for which his coach criticized him earlier. Earlier in the tournament, Adis Beciragic said Jusuf was “out of shape” and struggling to run. But now leads the team with 16.8 points in the tournament. Now they face Georgia (2-2) and would hope to continue their win streak to seal their qualification place.