Jusuf Nurkic, it turns out, wasn't entirely joking when he quipped after being hit in the face by Draymond Green that he wants the Golden State Warriors star to get help. Ahead of Wednesday's loss to the Brooklyn Nets, the Phoenix Suns big man expressed genuine concern and appreciation for Green.

“I have a lot of respect for him, obviously, even before this,” Nurkic said of Green, per Duane Rankin of Arizona Republic. “I still have it. I don’t know what people go through. It’s not our problem, but he’s an NBA champion for me, Hall of Famer still.”

Green was suspended indefinitely by the NBA on Wednesday evening for striking Nurkic in the face 24 hours earlier during the Suns' comeback win over the reeling Warriors. After that game, Nurkic made nationwide headlines by telling reporters that Green “needs help” and noting he was glad he wasn't choked, a pithy reference to Green putting Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a chokehold on the floor a few weeks ago.

Nurkic never explicitly called Green out on the postgame podium, but he seemed more annoyed by the situation than anything else. The Bosnian Beast was singing a much different tune less than 24 hours later, insisting he harbors no ill will toward Green and wants the future Hall-of-Famer to get back to his best self going forward.

“It’s kind of sad to see people going in a bad direction,” Nurkic said. “I want him to succeed and still be the Draymond we all know. I have no bad feelings or any hate towards him.”

Kudos to Jusuf Nurkic for taking the high road, ostensibly accepting Green's public apology while allowing for the possibility the wild flail to his face really wasn't unintentional. As Green embarks on the necessary steps toward being reinstated by the NBA, let's hope he takes Nurkic's words to heart.