Bosnia and Herzegovina center Jusuf Nurkić didn’t hold back after his team’s 80-77 victory over Greece at EuroBasket 2025. The NBA star made pointed remarks on Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was ruled out of the game because of knee discomfort.
Giannis is among the top scorers in the tournament, averaging around 29.0 points per game. However, when asked if Giannis' absence made it rather easy for Bosnia and Herzegovina to clinch a victory, Nurkic said his team's plans had nothing to do with who was on the floor.
"I think it didn't change a lot," Nurkic said. "We still had the same attachment to the defence or offence, and regardless of who's going to play there, you have to have the same discipline. So for most of the night we did have a lot of discipline, we still have to learn to be better, not helping the shooters and when shooters catch and shoot, we have our hands down.
"When you think about crazy, then you don't bring the hand up to the great shooters like Stukas or somebody, and we have to learn from there, but I'll take any win, man."
Asked Jusuf Nurkic if Giannis' absence changed the game plan for Bosnia. "It didn't change a lot. We had the same attachment on offense or defense. Regardless of who gonna play there, you have to have the same discipline. "#EuroBasket #GREBIH @athletiko_gr pic.twitter.com/gdpnKDylEk
— Christos Tsaltas (@Tsaltas46) September 2, 2025
This comment follows Nurkic's controversial pre-game remarks, which many deemed disrespectful for Giannis.
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What did Jusuf Nurkic say about Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Ahead of the high-stakes matchup against Greece, Nurkic didn't miss words and revealed how one can stop the Bucks star with ease. While he acknowledged that the Bucks star is a force to be reckoned with on the floor, there are some chinks in his armor.
“Of course, you’ve got to slow down Giannis. You’ve got to build the wall for him,” Nurkic said. “When we build the wall, we’ve got to still protect the three-point line. That’s going to be a key. Slow him down on the fast break, which is his number one thing to do.
“But at the end of the day, just stop him in transition and live with his shots. Generally, he’s sucked at those defenses the last few years he’s played in EuroBasket. But it’s not only him, so we will be ready.”
Nurkic saying Antetokounmpo "sucked at those defenses" quickly went viral, but Bosnia and Herzegovina's Basketball Federation issued a statement, clarifying that Nurkic said the Bucks star "saw kind of those defenses."
In the original interview, Nurkic also compared how the game is different for Giannis Antetokounmpo in EuroBasket than in the NBA.
“In the NBA, he has so much space, with shooters like Brook Lopez spreading the floor, he’s almost unstoppable," Nurkic added. "Here it’s another game, no defensive three seconds, so much happening in the paint, but he’s still a dominant player.”
Nurkic's words are true in some sense, but Giannis has managed to do well in EuroBasket as well. His 31-point outburst against Italy and 27 points against Georgia suggest the Greek Freak is comfortable in both styles of play.
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