“Uncertainty Was Difficult”: Toronto Raptors’ Nick Nurse Reflects on His Struggles and Tough Times
Follow Us
People may mistakenly assume that the NBA is competitive just for the teams. But they must understand that there are just 30 head coaches to 450+ players. So in a way, it is more difficult to take that position. Nobody better than Toronto Raptors’ head coach Nick Nurse can understand this.
Nick helped the Raptors post a 58-game winning 2018-19 season, where they defeated a high-flying Warriors in the finals. His career’s first NBA title might appear to be an overnight success, but it was actually far from that. His offensive strategies helped players like Kawhi Leonard, but his decades of experience also added big.
Toronto Raptors’ head coach and his days of struggle
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
In a recent interview, Nick shed light on his days of going back-and-forth switching teams and coaching different sides. He expressed, “Well it’s tough, I think the toughest thing about it is, every season ended and you always wonder- where you’re gonna be next year? It was no multi-year deals in time, those kinds of things.”
Trending
Shaq Warns Lakers Locker Room Of Jeanie Buss Game Plan If Darvin Ham & Co Fail Vs Nuggets
April 24, 2024 09:42 PM EDT
Heat Injury Report: Latest On Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson Ahead of Game 2 vs Celtics
April 24, 2024 02:46 PM EDT
What Happened to Kenny Smith’s Legs? Unfolding the Sad Truth Behind TNT Host’s Dodgy Knees
April 22, 2024 08:05 PM EDT
Joel Embiid Banned By Empire State Building After Dangerous Incident On Court With Mitchell Robinson
April 26, 2024 02:59 AM EDT
“So Rigged”: All Hell Breaks Loose as Jamal Murray Forces LeBron James’ Lakers Into Bitter Embarrassment
April 23, 2024 06:21 AM EDT
Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.
Follow Us
Nick is an Iowa native and was raised alongside 8 siblings. One can imagine how that in itself would have been a struggle. But fortunately for him, he carried the sporty DNA of his father, who was a Basketball and Little League, Baseball coach.
Growing up, Nick played various sports (pole vault, football, baseball) and finally settled for basketball. During his time as a player in Northern Iowa, he made a three-pointer record of 170/363 (46.8%) shots converted over four years. Later, he began his stint with coaching at the tender age of 23.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Nick Nurse’s uncertain times before Canada happened
Mr. Nick gave his coaching services in cities like Iowa, South Dakota, England, Belgium, and Oklahoma. In his 30-year coaching career, the legendary coach has trained athletes in 15 different teams.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Remembering those days, the 2019-20 NBA Coach of the Year said, “The job I had in Belgium, it was where I always wondered where I was gonna be week-to-week. It was like you gotta win this game this Saturday or you’re packing yourself up several times during that season. So that uncertainty was difficult, but man looking back I loved all those jobs, and at that time in life, they meant the world to me, and I was just trying to get better at my craft and win.”
His credibility also comes from the fact that he is the only name to have coached in all the three (NCAA, Oversees Pro, and D-League) leagues. He won the 2011 Coach of the Year and championships with two teams in the D-league (now ‘G’). Then, the 53-YO became the assistant coach for the Raptors. In 2018, he was promoted as the head coach, and the rest, as they say, is history.