Player Bio

Jusuf Nurkic, the son of Hariz Nurkic, didn't start playing basketball until he was 14 when discovered by a sports agent who read an article about his father, a 7-foot policeman in their hometown of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Before coming to the NBA, Nurkic played for Cedevita Zagreb of the Adriatic League. He also represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2014 Under-20 European Championship Division B in Sarajevo, helping his country to a tournament championship and capturing MVP honors. In Portland, Nurkic has invested his time and energy towards various charitable causes, working with the Trail Blazers Foundation and other corporate partners to unveil the first of numerous refurbished basketball courts in public parks around the Greater Portland community. He also donated over 800 game tickets last year to the city's Bosnian community and Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO). For those efforts, Nurkic was awarded the 2018-19 Maurice Lucas Award, given by the Trailblazers organization to the player who "best represents the indomitable spirit of Maurice Lucas through his contributions on the court and in the community, as well as in support of his teammates and the organization". You can follow him on both Twitter and Instagram @Bosnianbeast27. A native of Bosnia, Nurkic spent time in the Adriatic League prior to arriving in the NBA. In 2012-13, he averaged 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds for Cedevita before being loaned to Zadar, where he posted 8.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game. The following year, Nurkic appeared in 58 games for Cedevita, putting up 10.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. He also played for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2014 U-20 European Championship Division B. Across eight games, Nurkic averaged 21.4 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.6 blocks en route to leading his team to the championship and being named tournament MVP.