On August 20th, 2020, the Toronto Raptors announced that they had fired head coach Nick Nurse after leading the team to a 2019 NBA Championship. This news came as a shock to many fans of the team, as Nurse had been a beloved figure in Toronto since taking over as head coach in 2018.
Nick Nurse had a successful tenure with the Raptors, leading the team to a franchise-record 59 wins in the 2018-19 season and then to their first ever NBA Championship in 2019. He was also named NBA Coach of the Year in 2019, becoming the first Canadian to win the award.
Despite his success with the Raptors, Nurse was unable to replicate that success in the 2019-20 season. The Raptors finished with a 46-18 record, good enough for second in the Eastern Conference. However, they were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.
The Raptors have yet to announce who will replace Nurse as head coach. However, it is expected that they will look for someone with experience in the NBA and a proven track record of success.
The firing of Nick Nurse is a surprising move by the Raptors, but it is clear that they are looking to move in a different direction. It will be interesting to see who they hire as their new head coach and how they will fare in the upcoming season.
