Jusuf Nurkic Featured on ESPN

Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic recently went on SportsCenter to discuss Damian Lillard, Kobe Bryant and...play ping pong and Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em robots?

Yes, Nurkic did it all during his visit on SportsCenter. He talked to ESPN’s Neil Everett about Damian Lillard, discussing how the star point guard changed his life:

In many ways. On the floor definitely with his leadership, the way he helped me see a different approach of basketball and on the floor just be out there. Whenever I need him I call him. At three in the morning, in the summer, it doesn’t matter he’s always there with me.

He also talked about how influential Kobe Bryant was for Nurkic as a young player.

That was my fever man. He was my idol, man. Growing up back home, coming from a small village in Bosnia, starting basketball pretty late at 14-years old, just seeing him, the instinct he had for the basketball to be the best that ever can be. It was tremendous:

Along with talking about the first time playing against Bryant, Nurkic talked about his trash-talking nature and meeting Kevin Hart while also playing a quick round of Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.

The whole video can be seen here: