April 21, 2023
Toronto Raptors Vice-Chairman and President Masai Ujiri announced Friday that Nick Nurse has been relieved of his duties as the team’s head coach.
After the team failed to make the playoffs due to their loss to the Chicago Bulls in the recent Play-in Tournament.
“The decision to make a change like this is never arrived at easily or taken lightly, especially when it comes to a person who has been an integral part of this franchise’s most historic accomplishments, and who has been a steady leader through some of our team’s most challenging times. As we reflect on Nick’s many successes, we thank him and his family, and wish them the best in future,” Ujiri said.
“This is an opportunity for us to reset, to refocus, to put into place the personnel and the players who will help us reach our goal of winning our next championship.”
Nurse joined the Raptors organization in 2013 as an assistant coach before being named the ninth head coach in team history in June 2018. That first season, he guided Toronto to 58 wins, one shy of the franchise record, and became the ninth rookie head coach in NBA history to win the championship in their first year.
The following season, Nurse and his staff represented Toronto at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago and finished the year with 53 victories. For his efforts, Nurse was named NBA Coach of the Year, an award presented to him while in the NBA’s “Bubble” in Orlando.
In five seasons (2018-23) at the helm of the Raptors, Nurse had the best winning percentage in team history with a 227-163 (.582) record, made three playoff appearances, winning two Atlantic Division and one Eastern Conference title, and the 2019 NBA Championship.
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