Jazz Center Nurkic Lobbies for Teammate Markkanen's All-Star Nod

Nurkic pleads with NBA Commissioner Silver to recognize Jazz star's efforts this season.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic took to social media to call on NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to select his teammate, Lauri Markkanen, to the All-Star Game. Nurkic believes Markkanen deserves more recognition for his strong play this season, despite the Jazz's apparent tanking efforts.

Why it matters

Markkanen has emerged as one of the league's premier scoring forwards, but the Jazz's decision to prioritize securing a high draft pick could limit his chances of making the All-Star team this year. Nurkic's public plea highlights the ongoing debate around player recognition and the impact of team-level decisions.

The details

The Jazz have been accused of tanking this season in order to retain a top-eight draft pick owed to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Head coach Will Hardy's recent comments have only fueled these allegations. However, the Jazz have also made moves suggesting they intend to compete next season, such as acquiring Jaren Jackson Jr. and retaining Walker Kessler. Nurkic believes Markkanen, one of the league's top scoring forwards, deserves to be an All-Star this year and took to social media to directly appeal to Commissioner Silver.

  • On February 10, 2026, Nurkic made his plea for Markkanen's All-Star selection on X (formerly Twitter).

The players

Jusuf Nurkic

The starting center for the Utah Jazz who publicly lobbied for his teammate Lauri Markkanen to be selected to the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.

Lauri Markkanen

A standout scoring forward for the Utah Jazz who Nurkic believes deserves to be an NBA All-Star this season.

Adam Silver

The Commissioner of the National Basketball Association, to whom Nurkic directly appealed to select Markkanen to the All-Star Game.

Will Hardy

The head coach of the Utah Jazz, whose recent comments have fueled allegations that the team is intentionally tanking this season.

Jaren Jackson Jr.

A player the Jazz acquired, suggesting they intend to compete next season.

Walker Kessler

A player the Jazz chose to retain, further indicating their plans to be competitive going forward.

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What they’re saying

“Adam Silver do the right thing!! #AllStar”

— Jusuf Nurkic, Utah Jazz Center (X (formerly Twitter)

“I know u ain't talking wit no d💀”

— Jusuf Nurkic, Utah Jazz Center (X (formerly Twitter)

What’s next

It remains to be seen whether Nurkic's public plea will influence Adam Silver and the NBA's decision-making regarding the 2026 All-Star Game selections.

The takeaway

This situation highlights the complex dynamics between player recognition, team-level decisions, and the NBA's selection process for the All-Star Game. Nurkic's passionate advocacy for his teammate Markkanen underscores the importance of fair and transparent player evaluation, even amidst a team's apparent tanking efforts.