Phoenix Suns’ Jusuf Nurkić focused on ‘being best teammate’ he can be

Phoenix Suns’ Jusuf Nurkić focused on ‘being best teammate’ he can be

It is our weekly visit with the Suns player coming off the court here on the burns and gambo show and this week we are very fortunate and very happy to have joining us on the phone line I believe from Atlanta if I’m not mistaken 28 points 13 in the second quarter 11

Rebounds six assists last night Yousef nerk joining us here for the second time this season on the burns and gambo show nerk good to have you back I’m Dave this is gambo we appreciate your time man how you doing today I’m good man just land for so be

Ready yeah well congratulations on a great game last night I want to talk about that but first I want to get your thoughts because not only was it Kevin Durant’s return to Brooklyn it was also Damen Lillard’s return to Portland you know him very well you played there just

Give me your thoughts on what Damen Lillard meant to that town that City uh and the Portland Trailblazer fan base I mean it’s insane I think personally you know arguably there’s no man out there who know basketball that don’t think that their brother is um greatest player of blazers history like

In a Young Generation going to always remember being you know old generation you know I’ve been there for how many season I never see cly there presence even when D was you know first in the in the franchise points you know didn’t see Clyde there you and I believe Clyde is a

Great man to me just doesn’t mean much um as like the president wise for the city for the fans um you know I think just a special player how much mean to me if I didn’t play I probably be there at the game right yeah you would have been there so

That’s interesting he said that he could see himself finishing his career in Portland would you be surprised if he ever puts on a Portland uniform again at some point in his career not at all man I think that’s um so realistic and and so possible you know obviously got to be you know

Welcome with the with the organization but I think at the end of the day you know that’s just a common sense and he should you know do that regardless what people think but I think you’re GNA finish career there for sure yeah you I can almost bet on that you can almost

Bet on that yeah sorry I didn’t mean to cut you off my apologies on that one um you got to play a little you got to play a little bullyball last night against the Brooklyn Nets you got to really uh show off that physicality and and I I I

Got to imagine you enjoyed that didn’t you yeah man sometimes you know you play different roles and certain center some the people you know take advantage of that talking some smack but then all of a sudden they in a court and they try to play small ball so it was it was good

For me feeling back the coaches and teammates believe in me so it was it was good to have the game and actually win and just continue the winning um you know as our big three getting more comfortable yeah yeah and as as part of the big three getting more comfortable I

Want to ask you about something that’s just getting more and more obvious with every game that we watch and that seems to be your level of comfort in passing and distributing the ball and setting the big three up and in particular this really nice two-man game that you have

Working with KD right now we saw it against the Bulls we saw it again last night do you feel like you have kind of a unique connection with him on the court to play this twom man game together definitely I think they understand understand in the you know

Who I am as a person I think he understand the best so far um as a player so knowing the the the whatever he do I’m looking for him out there and any player but um just how great he is he’s not really that hard but also

Understanding my role he’s not going to be like last night every game and you know looking you know my teammate didn’t want you know or coaches didn’t want me sh threes and just we need to be better in the roles and so I was like I’m all

In in this and you know as sometimes and most of the time if you don’t like your role and you try to play something that people don’t want you to play and you know I just want to compliment these people and players and and be the best

Teammates I can and that’s why I’m really a person so I’m trying to do the best um and in my role to be a star so whatever it takes to win the game and I’m trying to do you know your ability to handle the ball to make the right

Pass the way you see the court I you know you we see a lot of your European big men come into this game in the NBA and a little bit different than some of the American big men but just the ability to almost be like a point guard

And and how much of an advantage of it is that for you to be able to handle the ball and is that something that comes from your upbringing in the game look the funniest part I was never dreamed about the basketball player or athlete so that was a god gift but um to

Me like you know I’m just happy when when we can um make Mak both us happy any player who made assist feels like um two players happy when you score just I guess one player happy so try to be as a as a facilitator is is is a good feeling

And especially when you have a ball in your hands G of you know give you more confident the teammates and coaches trust you so if that happen more often I’m just happier that I can do it yeah the other thing that’s impressive is just your recognition I mean you you you

Know the previous guy that was here sometimes wouldn’t really understand who was guarding him and then would Retreat or pass the ball back out to the perimeter you you know when cam Johnson or Royce O’Neal or Mel Bridges is guarding you um the the recognition to understand who’s guarding you and to be

Able to take it aggressively to the basket that’s something that’s very noticeable in your game and and how important is that to you to just be able to get that ball and go up quickly when you’ve got a smaller player on you I mean that’s basically you know how

I kept him Le for so long long you know like I’m you know like I said a post game the coach decide to bring the Portland ner passing the golden post but at the same time you got to just punish these people when they try to go super

Small and I’m glad the coach didn’t take me out and and stay the game and team me but I know 39 so just a you know when you take 10 15 20 shots you’re gonna have a great game but at the same time you know I understand that

He brought me here to not complain about touches and and try to you know don’t take away too much shots of our big three so they can have you know the best chance so we can have the best chance to win championship yeah and and that’s youf nerkish joining us here on the

Burns in gambo show last one for me and I want to ask you about the way the team has played this last month and the way seemingly things have come together do you feel like you guys have gotten where you need to be or are there things still

For you all to work on to make this an even better version of what you’ve what you’ve put out there so far this last few weeks or so I mean we can always be better no question you know um but for us is like

I said you know a few weeks ago or you know I personally for us want to be healthy for postseason so if um some games we not perfect we okay with that like we we try to be the best we possibly can but you know lose some

Games here and there it’s not going to be end of the world and we not you know super you know high or so or so low on win losses so we understand what our goal is and we try to be you know the healthiest as possible for postseason

And that’s personally my goal for myself and for the team so you know health is most important thing with this team everybody know that so yes youf last one for me when you look at where you guys were on Christmas day and you lost to Dallas you guys were Rock Bottom at that

Point um really struggling and you guys have played terrific basketball ever since what’s the biggest reason for the turnaround in your in your opinion I mean Hy right you know I was not on a Christmas game here at had a funeral you know for my family so I

Think the most you know time around is being healthy being being together playing the game you know practice U just being R TR more I think the trust is there the talent VI you know never no one was questioning that just how much it going to take us how many games going

To take us to get together so I think every game no matter win or lose I think we are closer to that trust Yousef we appreciate the time I know especially since you’re in the middle of traveling and everything best of luck tomorrow against Atlanta best of luck to close

Out the trip against Washington we look forward to talking to you when you get back okay safe travels appreciate you guys you got it thank you youf nket joining us here on the Arizona Sports Line Suns and the Atlanta Hawks tomorrow three and two so far on this road trip thanks for

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Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić joined Burns & Gambo to talk about figuring out his role and explains his focus on ‘being the best teammate’ he can be for the Big 3.

Video: Felisa Cárdenas and Jeremy Schnell/Arizona Sports
Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

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