Jusuf Nurkic Angers Suns Fans by Not Endorsing Devin Booker and Kevin Durant for All-Star

Jusuf Nurkic certainly isn’t the most beloved Phoenix Sun ever, but the big man’s reluctance to endorse the team’s two superstars for the All-Star game has brought fans’ opinion of him to an all-time low. With All-Star voting now open, teams have started posting players’ statistics to accrue more votes for their players. The Suns have been no exception.

Jusuf Nurkic shared a couple of these posts about potential All-Star candidates for the Phoenix Suns. But rather than reposting the obvious choices, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, Nurkic instead backed Phoenix’s other starters, Tyus Jones and Bradley Beal.

The 30-year-old appeared to enrage fans on X after voicing his support for the backcourt tandem, with some claiming the Bosnian’s posts to be his way of antagonizing the team before getting traded. “He getting traded that’s why,” one fan reasoned.

Trade rumors have circled around the veteran center since he arrived in Phoenix, but these takes only came from the most cynical of fans.
The Suns center did have some support on his side, with one response claiming that the center was simply supporting the less heralded members of the roster.

“I’m the last person to ever defend Nurkic but I think he’s just retweeting for the underdogs I guess,” another fan responded.

A third responder added that Nurkic didn’t need to endorse the two perennial All-Stars, as both KD and Book should have no problem receiving an invite to the midseason festivities. “DB and KD gonna make it anyway,” they wrote.

The anger in the comments is also a reaction to the big man’s flaws on the court. Nurkic’s play has been under fire for years now, but the level of disapproval has reached a boiling point, as the center is averaging his lowest scoring average (9.2) since the 2015-16 season. He also continues to be a glaring defensive liability.

The Suns’ inability to slow down their opponents in the paint has had many fans calling for the franchise to trade for a more athletic replacement in the 5 spot.

The 10-year veteran has been an awkward fit on the court alongside the team’s “Big Three”, evidenced by his steadily declining numbers. But Nurk’s fit with his teammates off the court has also been called into question after a reporter asked Durant about a heated exchange between him and the big man.

KD acknowledged that while some fans may not understand the exchange of heated words that takes place between teammates in high-stress situations, these things are simply part of the game.

“A lot of fans haven’t played team sports, so they don’t understand what it’s like having that constant dialogue with a person every single day… It might look a little crazy from the outside looking in, but that’s just normal talk for us,” the 36-year-old added following a recent contest.

Whether Nurkic is traded or not, it doesn’t seem these All-Star endorsements will play a role either way.