It appears that the NBA has a new comedian, with Utah Jazz big man Jusuf Nurkic saying Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo sucks against certain defenses and that you can stop him in transition, forcing him to shoot.
This has clearly put a target on the back of the Bosnian center, who, coincidentally, will take on Giannis and Greece on Tuesday in EuroBasket. Speaking to BasketNews, Nurkic said, "At the end of the day, just stop him in transition and live with his shots. Generally, he’s sucked at those defenses the last few years he’s played in EuroBasket."
Nurkic put a target on his back. Giannis doesn't need more motivation
Teams have famously built 'walls' to try to stop Giannis, but still have not managed to do so. Giannis, a two-time MVP by the way, has scored 56 points on 74.2 percent shooting in the two EuroBasket games he has played. Additionally, Giannis has recorded eight consecutive EuroBasket games with 25 or more points, which is the second-highest total in competition history.
Despite this comment, Nurkic is quite complimentary to his fellow European, saying Giannis is dominant and almost unstoppable. Still, the other comment is the one that will stand out.
What makes Giannis special is that he has never developed a perimeter shot, despite constant discussion about how adding a consistent shot would take him to a whole new level. In his NBA career, he has shot above 30 percent from deep in just four of his 12 seasons.
One area that has developed for Giannis, in recent seasons, has been a consistent mid-range shot. He has shown that it is here to stay, after shooting 44.2 percent from the mid-range in the 2024-25 season, making 1.9 of 4.2 attempts per game. Adding this skill has not only opened up the game for Giannis but also for both the Milwaukee Bucks and his national team. Teams now don't know whether to sit in the paint or play up towards the perimeter and risk a blow-by.
Antetokounmpo has always flourished in the open court, with his relentless speed, power, and athleticism helping him to find a way to the basket. Tuesday's game against Bosnia and Herzegovina will be a test for Nurkic as he leads his side with bruising physicality in the paint. So far this tournament, Vassilis Spanoulis has used Giannis at the five spot, and so it is likely we will see these two go head-to-head on multiple occasions.
Thanasis Antetokounmpo has re-signed for the Bucks, and Kostas Antetokounmpo is also on the Greek roster. We have seen the oldest Antetokounmpo brother be more than willing to put himself between his brothers and opposing players. That means tempers could flare in Limassol, Cyprus.
Giannis doesn't need any more motivation when it comes to basketball, but this is incredibly brave from Nurkic to say right before their nations battle it out in EuroBasket. Greece has won all three of its games, whilst Bosnia has won just one, so it needs a victory on Tuesday.
The two times will fight it out on Tuesday, September 2, with tip-off around 8:00 CDT.