Utah Jazz's Jusuf Nurkic Makes History for Bosnia in Win vs. Greece

Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic wound up delivering on Tuesday for Bosnia and Herzegovina in their win over Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece in the EuroBasket tournament, marking Greece's first loss since being in the tourney.

It was a big game for Nurkic, as he ended up finishing with a double-double consisting of 18 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and three steals, being a big part in taking down Greece, 80-77, and now evening Bosnia and Herzegovina to a 2-2 record through four tournament showings.

And through that double-double performance, Nurkic has now become the 10th-leading scorer for Bosnia and Herzegovina in EuroBasket history

Jusuf Nurkic is now the 10th all-time scorer in Bosnia & Herzegovina's #EuroBasket history. 🇧🇦 pic.twitter.com/5F7SvGVdR4
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 2, 2025

Nurkic effectively passes the previous holder of 10th place, Nihad Djedovic, who lies at 142 points, and now becomes the only active NBA player to reside on the country's all-time EuroBasket list. The most recent active player to appear within the top 10 is former six-year league veteran Mirza Teletovic.

As for the number one placement on the all-time list for Bosnia, that honor goes to Mirza Delibasic, who has an impressive 348-point total through 30 games, winding up as a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame, and won four medals throughout his time playing in EuroBasket. For Nurkic, it'd certainly be a steep climb to get to those heights, but at the very least, he's found his way into the top 10.

Considering Nurkic started his time at this year's EuroBasket getting scolded by his head coach for being "out of shape and could "barely run," to see him turning it around to be one of the best players on the floor for Bosnia against an MVP-caliber Giannis is a pretty impressive shift, and could ultimately be what leads this team to advance into the Round of 16.

Apr 6, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Jusuf Nurkic (11) shoots against the Chicago Bulls during the first quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-Imagn Images | Nell Redmond-Imagn Images

Come October, Nurkic will join the Jazz for his first season during the 2025-26 campaign after coming from the Charlotte Hornets in the Collin Sexton deal. He spent his last season split between the Hornets and the Phoenix Suns, averaging 8.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 48.9% from the field.

Nurkic will hope to keep the positive momentum going for what will be a big game on Thursday for Bosnia and Herzegovina, facing Georgia, while Giannis and Greece will go on to face the reigning champions in Spain for the final group stage matchup.

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