Jusuf Nurkić facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jusuf Nurkić

Nurkić with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2021
No. 30 – Utah Jazz
Center
Personal information
Born	(1994-08-23) 23 August 1994 (age 30) Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Listed height	7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight	290 lb (132 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16th overall
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Pro career	2012–present
League	NBA
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 and awards
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2015) Croatian League champion (2014) Croatian League Finals MVP (2014) All-Croatian League Second Team (2014)

Jusuf Nurkić (born August 23, 1994) is a professional basketball player from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He plays as a center for the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was first chosen by the Chicago Bulls in the 2014 NBA draft. Later, he played for the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, and Charlotte Hornets. Nurkić also plays for the Bosnia and Herzegovina men's national basketball team.

Early Basketball Journey

Jusuf Nurkić was born in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He started playing basketball when he was 14 years old. A Bosnian sports agent, Enes Trnovčević, helped him begin his career. Jusuf moved to Slovenia and joined the youth teams of Zlatorog Laško.

In February 2012, he briefly played for Union Olimpija. This was for a special tournament in Belgrade. Nurkić played very well, averaging 18.8 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Soon after, he left Zlatorog Laško and began training with the Croatian team Cedevita.

Professional Career Highlights

Starting with Cedevita Zagreb (2012–2014)

In October 2012, Nurkić signed a contract with Cedevita Zagreb. In his first season, he did not play much. He mostly played in games that were already decided. In the Euroleague, he played only six games.

In January 2013, he was loaned to Zadar to get more playing time. In his second season, Nurkić improved a lot. He averaged 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in the Adriatic League. He played well even though he often had foul trouble. In 2014, he was nominated for the FIBA Europe Young Player of the Year Award.

Time with the Denver Nuggets (2014–2017)

On June 26, 2014, the Chicago Bulls picked Nurkić 16th overall in the 2014 NBA draft. He was then traded to the Denver Nuggets on the same night. He signed his first NBA contract with the Nuggets on July 31, 2014.

Nurkić played his first NBA game on October 29, 2014. He scored five points and grabbed seven rebounds. On January 1, 2015, he achieved his first "double-double." This means he had 10 points and 10 rebounds in one game. Two days later, he had another double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks. He was chosen for the 2015 Rising Stars Challenge but did not play. He scored a season-high 17 points in the last game of the season.

In October 2015, the Nuggets extended Nurkić's contract. He missed the start of the 2015–16 season due to surgery on his left knee. He returned in January 2016. On April 8, he scored a career-high 21 points against the San Antonio Spurs.

In the 2016–17 season, Nurkić scored a new career high of 23 points. This was in the Nuggets' first game of the season. He also had a career-high 18 rebounds in another game. Later, Nikola Jokić became the starting center. Nurkić was moved to the bench. He was not happy about this and asked to be traded. The Nuggets traded him in February 2017.

Years with the Portland Trail Blazers (2017–2023)

First Seasons in Portland (2017–2019)

Nurkić in February 2018

On February 13, 2017, Nurkić was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. He made his debut for the Trail Blazers on February 15, 2017. He scored 13 points and had seven rebounds. In his first start for the team, he had 12 points and 12 rebounds.

On March 9, 2017, Nurkić had an amazing game. He scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. He also had eight assists and six blocks. This was a very rare achievement in NBA history. On March 28, 2017, he set another career high with 33 points against his old team, the Denver Nuggets. Soon after, he suffered a leg injury and missed the rest of the regular season.

Nurkić returned for Game 3 of the playoffs in April 2017. He had two points and 11 rebounds. The Trail Blazers lost the series.

On November 24, 2017, Nurkić recorded 29 points and 15 rebounds. On January 18, 2018, he had 19 points and a season-high 17 rebounds. He re-signed with the Trail Blazers on July 6, 2018.

On January 1, 2019, Nurkić had a career-high 23 rebounds. He also had 24 points, seven assists, five blocks, and five steals. This was a historic game, as it was the first time a player achieved such stats since 1973. On January 16, 2019, he recorded his first "triple-double." This means he had 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in one game.

Dealing with Injuries (2019–2023)

On March 25, 2019, Nurkić suffered a serious leg injury. He broke his left tibia and fibula during a game. He had scored a season-high 32 points before the injury. This injury ended his season.

Nurkić returned to play on July 31, 2020. He scored 18 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and had six blocks.

On January 14, 2021, Nurkić fractured his right wrist. He returned to play on March 26, 2021. On April 23, 2021, he scored a season-high 26 points.

On January 6, 2022, Nurkić was ejected from a game after an argument. He was fined $25,000 by the NBA. On January 22, 2022, he scored 29 points and had 17 rebounds. On March 22, 2022, he was fined $40,000 for throwing a fan's phone. He missed the rest of the season due to a foot injury.

On July 6, 2022, Nurkić signed a new four-year contract with the Trail Blazers.

Moving to the Phoenix Suns (2023–2025)

On September 27, 2023, Nurkić was traded to the Phoenix Suns. This was part of a big three-team trade.

He played his first game for the Suns on October 24. He had 14 points and 14 rebounds. On November 8, he scored 20 points, had 17 rebounds, and eight assists. He also made the game-winning shot in overtime.

On March 3, 2024, Nurkić set a new career high with 31 rebounds. This was the most rebounds by any player in an NBA game since 2010. He also broke the Suns' team record for most rebounds in a single game.

In December 2024, Nurkić was suspended for three games due to an argument during a game. He later moved to the bench for the Suns.

Playing for the Charlotte Hornets (2025)

On February 6, 2025, Nurkić was traded to the Charlotte Hornets. He played for them for a short time.

Joining the Utah Jazz (2025–present)

On June 29, 2025, Nurkić was traded to the Utah Jazz. He is currently playing for them.

National Team Career

Jusuf Nurkić has proudly represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in international competitions.

In 2012, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship Division B. He averaged 19.4 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. He was also the MVP of the FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship Division B in 2014. In that tournament, he averaged 21.4 points and 12.0 rebounds.

Nurkić played for the senior national team during the Eurobasket 2017 qualification. He averaged 19.2 points and 13.5 rebounds per game. He also played at EuroBasket 2022. There, his team achieved a big win against the defending champions, Slovenia. Nurkić averaged 16.2 points and 7.0 rebounds during the tournament.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

EuroLeague

Domestic leagues

Personal Life

Jusuf Nurkić's father, Hariz, is a police officer in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is also very tall, standing at 7 feet (2.13 meters). He weighs over 400 pounds (181 kg). Jusuf has a younger brother who is also interested in basketball. His brother, at 13 years old, already wears size 16 shoes! He hopes to play college basketball in the United States when he is older.

Nurkić is a practicing Muslim.

See also

In Spanish: Jusuf Nurkić para niños

• List of NBA single-game rebounding leaders
• List of European basketball players in the United States