Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic spoke after Bosnia’s EuroBasket win over Greece and made it clear that Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence didn’t change much. The Jazz center explained that Bosnia approached the game with the same mindset on both ends of the floor. The Greece-Bosnia EuroBasket matchup was always going to demand discipline, with or without Giannis.

Asked if the game plan shifted, Nurkic gave a simple response. “It didn’t change a lot,” he said. “We had the same attachment on offense or defense. Regardless of who gonna play there, you have to have the same discipline.” Bosnia stuck to its structure and executed.

Jusuf Nurkic anchored the paint and used his size to set the tone on both ends. As a result, Greece struggled to find its usual inside presence without Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, Nurkic made it clear that Bosnia never underestimated them. “You still have to respect the opponent,” he said. “One guy doesn’t change everything.”

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Meanwhile, earlier in the tournament, Nurkic talked about the challenge of stopping Giannis. He said the key was to “build the wall” in transition and force him into tougher shots. Even though Giannis didn’t play, Bosnia still applied the same defensive principles to keep Greece out of rhythm.

Off the court, there had been some tension within the Bosnia camp. Head coach Adis Beciragic recently criticized Nurkic’s fitness, saying he “was out of shape and could barely run” after a 15-point performance in a loss to Montenegro. Because of this, the comments sparked discussion around Bosnia’s preparation, but Nurkic responded with leadership on the floor.

In the end, for Bosnia, the win was about discipline and focus. They stuck to the plan and trusted the system, no matter who lined up against them. Ultimately, Nurkic’s steady presence continues to guide the team as they push deeper into EuroBasket.

Can Bosnia keep this momentum going and make a deeper EuroBasket run?