Nick Nurse Thanks Raptors & Discusses Move to 76ers in Introductory Presser

Former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse thanked his former team and discussed his future with the Philadelphia 76ers in his introductory press conference

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Nurse’s departure from the Toronto Raptors seemed to be a tad emotionless.

There was no social media post or statement thanking the Raptors organization following his dismissal from the team just over a month ago. The players never showed an outpouring of support or gratitude for Nurse upon his departure. The lone acknowledgment of Nurse-related news came from Fred VanVleet who tweeted two emojis, prayer hands and a flexing arm, as he shared the news of Nurse’s hire as the new head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Nurse did, though, make a statement Thursday during his introductory press conference in Philadelphia.

“I’d like to say is that it was ten great years in Toronto,” said Nurse who spent five as Toronto’s head coach and another five as an assistant for the Raptors. “Masai Ujiri, Larry Tanenbaum, Bobby Webster, they treated me really well there. It was a fascinating city. A fascinating country. Lots of good players. I’m very grateful for those ten years for sure.”

So why Philadelphia?

“I took the job because of these two guys,” Nurse said referring to 76ers’ President Darryl Morey and team managing partner Josh Harris.

Nurse said he’s excited to get to work with the 76ers, turning perennial championship hopefuls into true NBA champions. He’s not concerned about any perceived differences with Joel Embiid who has publicly criticized Nurse in the past. To Nurse, Embiid is a fantastic player and he’s well aware of how difficult it is to stop the reigning league MVP.

As for Nurse’s time in Toronto, Nurse was asked directly about his former players alleging his public criticisms of them were occasionally the first time they’d heard those comments. Gary Trent Jr., in particular, mentioned he’d sometimes find out about Nurse’s critiques of his game from the media, rather than from Nurse himself.

Nurse dodged the question about the validity of the comments and if it’s an issue he wants to rectify.

“Communication and relationships is the key to doing this job really well,” he said. “Always communicate directly with the players on anything.”

The one awkward moment of the press conference came when a reporter cut off Nurse who was answering a question about how he plans to turn the 76ers into a championship contender.

“Do you want James Harden back?” a reporter asked, cutting off Nurse’s answer to the previous question.

“James Harden’s a great player,” Nurse responded.

“That didn’t answer the question,” the reporter said.

“Well, I would say this, James has a decision to make, and I’d be very happy if he came back. Yeah,” Nurse continued.

Nurse has been here before, taking over a team that’s come up short in the playoffs with championship aspirations. Even Morey joked about it, saying a new head coach can’t win a championship in his first season with his team, a reference to Nurse, of course, doing that in Toronto back in 2019.

Further Reading

Raptors Host DeAndre Williams in Pre-Draft Workout

Sergio Scariolo is the Kind of Xs-and-Os Genius Toronto Needs if It's Serious About Contending

Report: 76ers Hire Nick Nurse as New Head Coach