 Nurkić with thePortland Trail Blazers in 2021 | |
| No. 30 – Utah Jazz | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1994-08-23)23 August 1994 (age 31) Živinice, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 290 lb (132 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA draft | 2014: 1st round, 16th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Chicago Bulls |
| Playing career | 2012–present |
| Career history | |
| 2012–2014 | Cedevita |
| 2013 | →Zadar |
| 2014–2017 | Denver Nuggets |
| 2017–2023 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2023–2025 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2025 | Charlotte Hornets |
| 2025–present | Utah Jazz |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Jusuf Nurkić (/jusufˈnʊərkitʃ/YOO-soofNURR-kitch; born 23 August 1994) nicknamed the"Bosnian Beast", is a Bosnian professionalbasketball player for theUtah Jazz of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the seniorBosnia and Herzegovina national team. Nurkić was selected by theChicago Bulls with the 16th overall pick in the2014 NBA draft, before being traded to theDenver Nuggets on draft night. He has also played for thePortland Trail Blazers,Phoenix Suns and theCharlotte Hornets.
Nurkić was born on 23 August 1994 inŽivinice, Bosnia and Herzegovina.[1][2] He began playing basketball at age 14 after Bosnian sports agent Enes Trnovčević took Nurkić to Slovenia and gave him an opportunity to play.[3] Nurkić played in the youth categories for Slovenian teamZlatorog Laško.[4] In February 2012, he was briefly loaned toUnion Olimpija in order to play theNike International Junior Tournament, which was held inBelgrade. Nurkić attracted attention internationally by averaging 18.8 points and 11.0 rebounds in five games.[4][5] Shortly after the tournament, he parted ways with Zlatorog Laško.[6] Just days after, it was revealed that Nurkić was training with Croatian teamCedevita.[7]
In October 2012, after a few months of training with Croatian teamCedevita, Nurkić signed a contract with Cedevita Zagreb.[8][9] In his first season with Cedevita, Nurkić had a small role in the team under head coachAleksandar Petrović, mostly playing in garbage time. In theEuroleague, Nurkić played in only six games, averaging 1.8 points per game. In January 2013, he was loaned toZadar until the end of the season on his initiative, hoping to play more minutes.[10] In Nurkić's second season under new head coachJasmin Repeša, he had breakthroughs in the regionalAdriatic League, averaging 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, for only 16.3 minutes spent on the court. This was attributed mainly to foul troubles and conditioning issues.[11]
In 2014, Nurkić was nominated for theFIBA Europe Young Player of the Year Award.[12]
On 26 June 2014, Nurkić was selected by theChicago Bulls with the 16th overall pick in the2014 NBA draft. He was later traded to theDenver Nuggets on draft night.[13] On 31 July, Nurkić signed his rookie scale contract with the Nuggets.[14]
On 29 October 2014, Nurkić made his NBA debut, recording five points and seven rebounds in an 89–79 victory over theDetroit Pistons.[15] On 1 January 2015, Nurkić had his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in a 106–101 loss to the Chicago Bulls.[16] Two days later, Nurkić recorded his second career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds to go along with five blocks in a 114–85 victory over theMemphis Grizzlies.[17] Nurkić went on to record two more double-doubles in February.[15] He was named a participant in the 2015Rising Stars Challenge as a replacement forSteven Adams of theOklahoma City Thunder, but declined to play in the event for personal reasons.[18] In the regular-season finale against theGolden State Warriors, Nurkić scored a season-high 17 points in a 133–126 loss.[15] On 20 May, he underwent successful surgery to repair a partially torn left patellar tendon.[19]
On 11 October 2015, the Nuggets exercised their third-year team option on Nurkić's rookie scale contract, extending the contract through the 2016–17 season.[20] After being inactive for the first two months of the season due to recovering from his torn left patellar tendon, Nurkić made his 2015–16 season debut on 2 January against the Warriors and finished the 111–108 overtime loss with three points and two rebounds.[21] Four days later, Nurkić had 15 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks in a 78–74 victory over theMinnesota Timberwolves.[22] On 12 March, he scored a season-high 17 points in a 116–100 victory over theWashington Wizards.[23] Nurkić topped that mark twice in late March, scoring 18 points against theLos Angeles Lakers on 25 March,[24] and 19 points against theLos Angeles Clippers on 27 March.[25] On 8 April, he scored a career-high 21 points in a 102–98 victory over theSan Antonio Spurs.[26]
In the Nuggets' 2016–17 season opener on 26 October 2016, Nurkić set a new career high with 23 points in a 107–102 victory over theNew Orleans Pelicans.[27] Five days later, he had 13 points and a career-high 18 rebounds in a 105–102 loss to theToronto Raptors.[28] AfterNikola Jokić emerged as Denver's starting center, Nurkić was demoted to the bench.[29] The demotion to the bench did not sit well with Nurkić, and he was not afraid to voice his displeasure with the situation, requesting to be traded twice, first in April 2016 and then again in December 2016.[30] The Nuggets eventually granted Nurkić his wish 10 days before the 2017 trade deadline.[31]
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On 13 February 2017, Nurkić was traded, along with the rights to theMemphis Grizzlies' 2017 first round draft pick, to thePortland Trail Blazers in exchange forMason Plumlee, a 2018 second round pick and cash considerations.[32]
Nurkić made his debut for the Trail Blazers on 15 February, recording 13 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench in a 111–88 loss to theUtah Jazz.[33] Nurkić made his first start for the Trail Blazers in the next game eight days later following theNBA All-Star break, recording 12 points and 12 rebounds in a 112–103 victory over theOrlando Magic.[34] On 2 March, he had 18 points, 12 rebounds, a career-high six assists, and five blocks in a 114–109 victory over theOklahoma City Thunder.[35] Exactly a week later, Nurkić had a career-high 28 points and 20 rebounds in a 114–108 overtime victory over thePhiladelphia 76ers. He also had eight assists and six blocks, becoming the first NBA player to post at least 28 points, 20 rebounds, eight assists, and six blocks in a game sinceCharles Barkley pulled the feat in November 1986.[36] On 28 March, Nurkić set a new career high with 33 points to go along with 15 rebounds in a 122–113 victory over his former team, the Nuggets.[37] Three days later, Nurkić was ruled out for the rest of the regular season with a non-displaced fracture in his right leg.[38]
On 22 April 2017, Nurkić returned to action in Game 3 of the Trail Blazers' first-round playoff series against theGolden State Warriors, after having missed the final seven games of the regular season and the first two playoff games at Golden State. He finished the 119–113 loss with two points and 11 rebounds as the Trail Blazers went down 3–0 in the series.[39] Nurkić went on to miss Game 4 of the series, as the Trail Blazers bowed out of the playoffs with a 4–0 series loss to the Warriors.[40]
On 24 November 2017, Nurkić recorded 29 points and 15 rebounds in a 127–125 victory over theBrooklyn Nets.[41] On 18 January 2018, he had 19 points and a season-high 17 rebounds in a 100–86 victory over theIndiana Pacers.[42] On 9 April 2018, Nurkić recorded 20 points and 19 rebounds in an 88–82 loss to the Nuggets.[43] In Game 4 of the Trail Blazers' first-round playoff series against theNew Orleans Pelicans, Nurkić had 18 points and 11 rebounds in a 131–123 loss. The loss eliminated Portland from the playoffs, as they lost the series in a four-game sweep.[44]
On 6 July 2018, Nurkić re-signed with the Trail Blazers.[45] On 22 October, he recorded 22 points and 18 rebounds in a narrow 125–124 overtime loss to theWashington Wizards.[46] On 18 November, Nurkić had 13 points, 14 rebounds, and matched his career high with eight assists in a 119–109 victory over the Wizards.[47] Two days later, Nurkić recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds in a 118–114 victory over theNew York Knicks, thus recording his career-best fifth straight double-double.[48] On 27 December, Nurkić had 27 points and 12 rebounds in a narrow 110–109 overtime victory over the Warriors.[49]
On 1 January 2019, Nurkić logged a career-high 23 rebounds in a 113–108 overtime win against theSacramento Kings, while also putting up an impressive stat line of 24 points, seven assists, five blocks, and five steals in that game.[50] This performance marked a historic milestone, as it was the first ever game since the official recording of steals and blocks in 1973, where a player achieved 20+ points, 20+ rebounds, 5+ assists, 5+ blocks, and 5+ steals for an official 5x5.[51][52] Ten days later, Nurkić had 11 points, 11 rebounds, and tied career highs with eight assists and six blocks in a 127–96 victory over theCharlotte Hornets, becoming the third player in NBA history to record such a stat line in fewer than 30 minutes.[53] On 16 January, he recorded his first career triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 129–112 victory over theCleveland Cavaliers.[54]
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On 25 March 2019, Nurkić suffered acompound fracture of his lefttibia andfibula in the second overtime of thePortland Trail Blazers 148–144 victory over theBrooklyn Nets. Nurkić had a season-high 32 points and 16 rebounds before the injury.[55] The Trail Blazers confirmed that it was a season-ending injury the same night.[56]
Nurkic was expected to return from his injury on 15 March 2020.[57] However, with thesuspension of the 2019–20 NBA season due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Nurkić did not make his return until 31 July, in a 140–135 overtime victory over theMemphis Grizzlies, where he recorded 18 points, nine rebounds, and six blocks.[58]
On 14 January 2021, Nurkić fractured his right wrist in an 87–111 blowout loss to theIndiana Pacers.[59] Nurkić made his return on 26 March, recording eight points and eight rebounds in a 112–105 victory over theOrlando Magic.[60] On 23 April, Nurkić logged a season-high 26 points in a 130–128 loss to theMemphis Grizzlies.[61]
On 6 January 2022, during the fourth quarter of a 115–109 loss to theMiami Heat, Nurkić was ejected from the game after an altercation with Heat guardTyler Herro.[62] The next day, the NBA fined both Nurkić and Herro $25,000 each for the incident.[63] On 22 January, Nurkic scored 29 points, including a go-ahead basket with 13 seconds left, and grabbed 17 rebounds in a 109–105 victory over theBoston Celtics.[64] On 22 March, he was fined $40,000 by the NBA for a confrontation with a fan two days earlier after a 129–98 blowout loss to theIndiana Pacers, during which Nurkić threw the fan's phone into the stands.[65] Six days later, Nurkić was ruled out for the remainder of the season withplantar fasciitis in his left foot.[66]
On 6 July 2022, Nurkić re-signed with the Trail Blazers on a four-year, $70 million contract.[67][68]
On 27 September 2023, Nurkić, alongsideGrayson Allen,Nassir Little, andKeon Johnson was traded to thePhoenix Suns as part of a three-team trade that sentDamian Lillard to theMilwaukee Bucks andJrue Holiday,Deandre Ayton,Toumani Camara and a 2029 first-round draft pick to the Trail Blazers.[69]
Nurkić made his Suns debut on 24 October, recording a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds, including a game-securing driving lay-up, in a 108–104 victory over theGolden State Warriors.[70] On 8 November, Nurkić recorded 20 points, 17 rebounds, and eight assists alongside a game-winning floater in a 116–115 overtime victory over theChicago Bulls.[71]
On 3 March 2024, Nurkić recorded a career-high 31 rebounds alongside 14 points in a 118–110 loss to theOklahoma City Thunder, marking the most rebounds in a game by a player since 2010. He also broke the Suns franchise record for most rebounds by a player in a game, which was previously held byTyson Chandler.[72]
On 28 December 2024, Nurkić was suspended for three games without pay for an altercation involving bothNaji Marshall andP. J. Washington during a game against theDallas Mavericks.[73] With the Suns sitting at 15–18 to begin the 2025 part of their 2024–25 campaign, the Suns elected to move Nurkić to the bench in favor ofMason Plumlee, beginning with their 6 January 2025 game against thePhiladelphia 76ers.[74] He would later miss out on playing time altogether starting on their 9 January game against theAtlanta Hawks as well.[75]
On 6 February 2025, Nurkić was traded to theCharlotte Hornets alongside a 2026 first-round pick in exchange forCody Martin,Vasilije Micić, and a 2026 second-round pick.[76]
On 29 June 2025, Nurkić was traded to theUtah Jazz in exchange forCollin Sexton and a 2030 second-round pick.[77] On 25th of January, Jusuf Nurkic was the firstUtah Jazz franchise player to get threetriple doubles in a row.[78]
Playing forBosnia and Herzegovina, Nurkić was namedMVP of theFIBA Europe Under-18 Championship Division B held in 2012, where he averaged 19.4 points and 13.3 rebounds per game.[79] Nurkić was also the MVP of theFIBA Europe Under-20 Championship Division B, held in 2014, where he averaged 21.4 points and 12.0 rebounds per game.[80] Nurkić played a minor role in the senior team of Bosnia and Herzegovina during theFIBA EuroBasket 2013 qualification,[81] but did not make the squad for thefinal tournament due to the conflict with the board of Bosnian National Basketball Association.[82] Nurkić represented the seniorBosnia and Herzegovina national basketball team duringEurobasket 2017 qualification. He averaged 19.2 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game.
Nurkić represented Bosnia and Herzegovina atEuroBasket 2022, where the team was eliminated in the group stage.[83] He helped his country get a "shock win", 97–93, against the defending championsSlovenia.[84] Nurkić averaged 16.2 points and 7.0 rebounds over the tournament.[85]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance index rating |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | Denver | 62 | 27 | 17.8 | .446 | .000 | .636 | 6.2 | .8 | .8 | 1.1 | 6.9 |
| 2015–16 | Denver | 32 | 3 | 17.1 | .417 | .000 | .616 | 5.5 | 1.3 | .8 | 1.4 | 8.2 |
| 2016–17 | Denver | 45 | 29 | 17.9 | .507 | .000 | .496 | 5.8 | 1.3 | .6 | .8 | 8.0 |
| Portland | 20 | 19 | 29.2 | .508 | .000 | .660 | 10.4 | 3.2 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 15.2 | |
| 2017–18 | Portland | 79 | 79 | 26.4 | .505 | .000 | .630 | 9.0 | 1.8 | .8 | 1.4 | 14.3 |
| 2018–19 | Portland | 72 | 72 | 27.4 | .508 | .103 | .773 | 10.4 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 15.6 |
| 2019–20 | Portland | 8 | 8 | 31.6 | .495 | .200 | .886 | 10.3 | 4.0 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 17.6 |
| 2020–21 | Portland | 37 | 37 | 23.8 | .514 | .400 | .619 | 9.0 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 11.5 |
| 2021–22 | Portland | 56 | 56 | 28.2 | .535 | .268 | .690 | 11.1 | 2.8 | 1.1 | .6 | 15.0 |
| 2022–23 | Portland | 52 | 52 | 26.8 | .519 | .361 | .661 | 9.1 | 2.9 | .8 | .8 | 13.3 |
| 2023–24 | Phoenix | 76 | 76 | 27.3 | .510 | .244 | .640 | 11.0 | 4.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 10.9 |
| 2024–25 | Phoenix | 25 | 23 | 23.7 | .454 | .322 | .696 | 9.2 | 1.9 | .9 | .6 | 8.6 |
| Charlotte | 26 | 9 | 18.1 | .497 | .283 | .627 | 6.5 | 2.6 | .7 | .7 | 9.2 | |
| Career | 590 | 490 | 24.3 | .501 | .285 | .667 | 8.8 | 2.5 | .9 | 1.1 | 11.8 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Portland | 1 | 1 | 16.7 | .333 | .000 | .000 | 11.0 | 4.0 | .0 | 1.0 | 2.0 |
| 2018 | Portland | 4 | 4 | 23.4 | .487 | — | .818 | 8.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 11.8 |
| 2020 | Portland | 5 | 5 | 32.3 | .439 | .273 | .783 | 10.4 | 3.6 | 1.4 | .2 | 14.2 |
| 2021 | Portland | 6 | 6 | 28.9 | .545 | .200 | .720 | 10.3 | 2.7 | .5 | 1.2 | 13.2 |
| 2024 | Phoenix | 4 | 4 | 25.9 | .500 | .000 | .455 | 8.3 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 7.8 |
| Career | 20 | 20 | 27.4 | .489 | .211 | .714 | 9.5 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 11.5 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | Cedevita | 6 | 0 | 3.7 | .625 | 1.000 | .000 | .7 | .0 | .2 | .5 | 1.8 | 2.0 |
| Career | 6 | 0 | 3.7 | .625 | 1.000 | .000 | .7 | .0 | .2 | .5 | 1.8 | 2.0 | |
| Season | Team | League | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | Cedevita Zagreb | Adriatic League | 5 | 6.8 | .750 | .000 | .500 | 1.0 | .2 | .0 | .0 | 2.6 |
| KK Zadar | 9 | 6.6 | .579 | .000 | .600 | 2.0 | .6 | .3 | .4 | 4.1 | ||
| Croatia A-1 Liga | 19 | 13.3 | .495 | .000 | .691 | 4.4 | .5 | .8 | .9 | 8.1 | ||
| 2013–14 | Cedevita Zagreb | Adriatic League | 28 | 16.6 | .560 | .143 | .701 | 5.7 | .7 | 1.1 | .8 | 11.7 |
| Croatia A-1 Liga | 15 | 16.5 | .551 | .000 | .614 | 5.3 | 1.0 | .7 | 1.2 | 11.5 |
Nurkić's father, Hariz, is a police officer in Bosnia and Herzegovina and as first noted by some of theDenver Nuggets' broadcasters, he stands at a similar height to Jusuf at 7 feet (2.13 m) tall, but weighs over 400 pounds (181 kg).[3] In an interview with ESPN'sRachel Nichols, Nurkić confirmed his father's enormous physical stature and noted that his younger brother, at the age of 13, is already engaged in basketball, donning size 16 shoes, and is looking to play collegiately in the United States once he reaches that education level.[86]
Nurkić is a practicingMuslim.[87][88] On 12 April 2021, he sparked controversy informer Yugoslavia after marking the beginning ofRamadan bytweeting an image of theMeštrović Pavilion in 1944, when it was converted into a mosque by theUstaše regime in theIndependent State of Croatia, aNazipuppet state established in theoccupied Yugoslavia. During that time, the Pavilion bore the name of Croatianfascist dictator andgenocide perpetrator,PoglavnikAnte Pavelić (Džamija poglavnika Ante Pavelića,transl. thePoglavnik Ante Pavelić Mosque).[89][90][91][92][93][94]
