Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic has made it something of a custom to call out reporters publicly for reports or takes he dislikes — even if they’re about players that aren’t his teammates.
Nurkic did it again on Monday after video emerged of Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons working out during the offseason. In the video, Simmons is seen taking jump shots with his left hand, despite some speculation that he might switch to his right due to ongoing shooting struggles. This was pointed out by Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who characterized Simmons’ lack of change as “disappointing news.”
Nurkic took note of this and went after O’Connor for the comment, offering some “disappointing news” of his own.
Nurkic and Simmons obviously aren’t teammates, but it’s worth noting they’re both represented by superagent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. There have also been some rumors that Nurkic and Simmons could end up as teammates, though that’s a long way off to say the least at this point.
This isn’t the first time this offseason that Nurkic has taken aim at a reporter publicly. He’s certainly committed to sticking up for his fellow players if he feels they’re being characterized wrongly or treated unfairly.
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