CHARLOTTE (USA) - Bosnia and Herzegovina have not advanced from the Group Phase of a FIBA EuroBasket since 1993 in Germany, yet Jusuf Nurkic believes the country can not only "break the curse" but even take aim at a spot on the podium this summer.
The team will take on defending champions Spain, Greece, Italy, Georgia and Cyprus in Group C at FIBA EuroBasket 2025.
"We can do really good damage," Nurkic told FIBA. "Obviously, we go game by game. We want to break the curse of Bosnia and reach the Second Round. We go from there, but our goal is a medal."
Our goal is a medal.
The only conclusion that anyone could have after watching Bosnia and Herzegovina battle in Cologne at EuroBasket 2022 is that this national team has a very real chance of doing something special.
Nurkic averaged 16.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 2.0 blocks per game. His team beat Hungary and Slovenia, who were coming off the high of reaching the Semi-Finals at the Tokyo Olympics.
"We showed people (in Germany) that we can play, that we have a team that works and deserves the chance," he said.
Nurkic says that this tournament filled him and his teammates with confidence.
My favorite FIBA event is EuroBasket.
"It's just been awesome," he said. "My favorite FIBA event is EuroBasket. I think that's the best basketball, all the countries ... there's no unknowns. I feel like everybody played basketball. It's obviously Europe and it's a really good place to be."
Nurkic and Bosnia and Herzegovina also made it to the Final of the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament 2023 Estonia-Poland before falling in a close game to the Poles. He had 20 points and 14 rebounds in a 86-77 win over Israel that put Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Final and averaged 15.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per contest in the five games.
He did not play in the EuroBasket Qualifiers.
"I followed every game," he said. "We had great games against France and Croatia and obviously a few wins. But you know we qualified. We deserve it."
Nurkic, who is playing for the Charlotte Hornets in his 10th NBA season after previously suiting up for Denver, Portland and Phoenix, says the national team has showed so much potential and fight in recent years that it has become the No. 1 team in the country.
"For sure," he said. "The people are happy with the basketball team, the way we play, the way we represent.
"I think it's our best national team, regardless of the sport. With all due respect to soccer, they took us to the World Cup (2014), but at the end of the day, I feel like just generally, we are the most talented and the best group (of all sports teams in the country)."
"I feel like the country, every time I step on the floor representing the people, I think that's the best," he said.
FIBA