Image Source: Getty Images
[Saba Sports News] Basketball isn’t the top sport for many outside the USA, especially in Europe, where soccer reigns supreme. For Jusuf Nurkic, basketball was completely off his radar as he focused on life in his village and helping with his family’s farm. Recently, Nurkic revealed he hadn’t even heard of the sport until he was 14, yet within five years, he was drafted into the NBA.
“It’s a funny story. I didn’t play basketball or any sport until 2009. One day, a man from my village came to my house and said I could be a great basketball player. But at that time, I didn’t know anything about basketball. Still, I decided to give it a try,” Nurkic shared. “I started learning how to run, jump, and play the game. Five years later, I was in the NBA. It was crazy fast. Going from no sports to the NBA is rare, but that’s exactly what happened.”
Discovered at 14 by a Bosnian sports agent, Nurkic began playing across the Balkan region, eventually catching the attention of NBA scouts. He entered the 2014 Draft and was picked 16th overall by the Denver Nuggets, who also selected Nikola Jokic in the second round as a backup plan.
Nurkic started as the Nuggets’ center until 2016 when Jokic took over, leading to Nurkic’s trade to the Trail Blazers. Over seven seasons with Portland, Nurkic averaged 14.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, despite dealing with persistent injuries. He was later traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he averaged 10.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in his first season.
Nurkic’s rise from a small Bosnian village to the NBA is remarkable. Now with career earnings of $129.3 million, he’s still a strong presence in the league, though not on Jokic’s level. Known for his rebounding, passing, and hustle, Nurkic remains one of the better centers of his generation, and while his future with the Suns is uncertain, his journey is nothing short of extraordinary.