Nurkić saddened by grandmother in hospital: She has Covid, wear the damn mask

(Patria) - Bosnia and Herzegovina basketball representative Jusuf Nurkić returned to the court after a 16-month injury layoff, and with 18 points helped his Portland Trail Blazers secure a victory against the Memphis Grizzlies. Nurkić had 9 rebounds, 5 assists, two steals and as many as 6 blocks. 

After the game, he gave an emotional statement and urged everyone to wear masks.

“The reason we are here is the pandemic, I think people have taken for granted what is happening in the world. The last few days have been the hardest in my life, my grandmother has Covid and is in a coma in the hospital. I think people are not aware that this is ser... really real. We are lucky to be in a safe environment, we get tested every day. Take care of yourselves, wear the damn mask because it is necessary to wear it,” said Nurkić. 

The official NBA website also shared this message from Nurkić, along with praise for his return to the court after 16 months. Nurkić said he had been preparing for the return in the past period.