It's easy to forget because of his many injuries, but Jusuf Nurkic is a beast. The Bosnian center was integral to the success of the Portland Trail Blazers in the last few years. His absence in the paint was felt strongly by the team in the last few years. Now that he's healthy, he's ready to help his team.
Unconvinced? Well, check out this clip of Jusuf Nurkic absolutely bodying Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert. Nurkic's Bosnia team took on the powerhouse French team in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers. You'd think that the fourth-ranked team in the world can handle their business against the 46th ranked team. Instead, the Blazers center gave the Frenchmen a taste of the carnage he'll do in the NBA. (via Dane Moore)
Massive Jusuf Nurkic dunk in what is looking like might be a big upset by Bosnia and Herzegovina over France. pic.twitter.com/nmHAkVOywo
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) August 27, 2022
Nurkic also completely swallowed up Gobert in the post a few minutes later. The Blazers center bullied Gobert to the paint before dropping a short hook short. Nurkic then hit the Frenchman with a “Too Small” taunt just to rub it in a bit more. That's the spunk that Portland missed from Nurk in the last few years.
Jusuf Nurkic, who is goin off, gives Rudy Gobert the “too small” https://t.co/qQfbyABDCE pic.twitter.com/1E8ZC1rHZT
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) August 27, 2022
In the end, Nurkic's Bosnia and Herzegovina scored a massive upset against France, beating them 96-90 in a double overtime thriller. The Blazers center's team keeps their hope alive for a chance at playing the 2023 FIBA World Cup, to be held in three different countries. France, on the other hand, still stays at a solid 6-2 standing.
As for Nurkic's NBA squad, the Blazers have undergone a minor rebuild of their roster. They traded CJ McCollum last season and have a new supporting cast around Damian Lillard. They are fighting to get back to the players after injuries gutted their roster last season.
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