Raptors coach Nick Nurse is on his way to becoming a Canadian legend. He might be from Iowa, but he’s the first person in history to coach a Canadian team in the NBA Finals. The Raptors defeating the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals sent Toronto into a frenzy and gave a team that’s been defined by playoff disappointment a new chapter in their franchise history. It’s also giving Nurse more opportunities in the country he’s currently coaching in.
According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, Nurse is currently Canada Basketball’s top choice to coach the team in the upcoming FIBA World Cup taking place this summer. As Canadian basketball grows, Nurse could gain the role of being the person that oversees the national team as its head coach, much like Gregg Popovich with USA Basketball.
Raptors coach Nick Nurse, fresh off taking Toronto to its first NBA Finals in his maiden season as an NBA head coach, is the top choice of Canada Basketball to coach Canada at the 2019 @FIBAWC in China, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 26, 2019
Pete Yannopoulos of TSN690 reports a deal is in place, although an official announcement is yet to happen.
The news keeps getting better for basketball in our country. Sources confirm to me that Nick Nurse will become the next head coach for Team 🇨🇦 this summer at the world championships in China. Brillant hire by Rowan Barrett and Canada basketball. #RDS
— Peter Yannopoulos (@PeteYannopoulos) May 26, 2019
This would be very cool for not only Nurse, but Canadian basketball as a whole. Canada is becoming one of the top countries in the world in producing NBA level talent and a great way to show the power of that talent is a strong national team. With Nurse coaching for the only Canadian team in the NBA, he has at least some understanding of Canadian basketball culture. He can take it to the next level and continue building their national team program as they look to become one of the top challengers to USA Basketball in the world.
