Bosnia celebrated their first EuroBasket stage victory against Greece, a result made even more notable by the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo. After the game, Bosnian star Jusuf Nurkic approached the NBA star at mid-court, drawing the attention of fans and media alike.
When asked about the encounter, Nurkic simply replied, “No comment,” leaving observers to speculate about the conversation. The interaction gained further attention when Giannis, speaking to the Greek press in the mixed zone, said, “You are the ones who wrote something that I didn’t say?”
The controversy stemmed from a misquote that went viral online. The Georgian federation clarified – and video evidence confirmed – that Nurkic never claimed Giannis “sucked” against FIBA defenses. Rather, he had said he “saw kinda those defenses,” a statement that was misinterpreted and amplified across social media.
Focusing on the game itself, Nurkic reflected on Bosnia’s disciplined approach, which proved key to the victory.
“I think it didn’t change a lot. We still had the same attachment to the defense or offense, and regardless of who is going to play there, you have to have the same discipline. So for most of the game, we did have a lot of discipline.
“We still have to learn to be better, not helping other shooters, and when shooters catch and shoot, we have a hand down, which is, when you think about it, crazy, that you don’t bring the hand up to the great shooters like Sloukas or somebody else. We have to learn from there, but you know I’ll take any win.”
Nurkic also stressed that the victory, while impressive, does not guarantee anything in the standings.
“It doesn’t mean anything or everything. We didn’t finish the job, like you said; they already qualified, and we didn’t. We have one more game with Georgia. And you know we have 24 hours to rest and then regroup, and you have a game plan for Georgia.”
The final round of Group C will see Bosnia face Georgia in what amounts to a playoff game for qualification. With both teams needing a win to advance, the matchup promises to be a high-stakes battle, and Nurkic and the Dragons will look to carry the confidence from their win over Greece into this decisive game.
Jusuf Nurkic cleared things out with Giannis Antetokounmpo about a comment that he never made
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) September 2, 2025
As it turned out, he never said that Giannis "sucked" against FIBA defenses #Eurobasket https://t.co/reRTSCneBz
