The Toronto Raptors have reportedly fired head coach Nick Nurse, sources with knowledge of the situation told the Athletic's Shams Charania on Friday (April 21).
"The Toronto Raptors have fired coach Nick Nurse, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium," Charania tweeted.
Nurse, who led the Raptors to their first and only NBA championship in franchise history in 2019, went 41-41 during the 2022-23 season, having missed the playoffs for the third second time in the past three seasons. The 55-year-old was initially hired by Toronto as an assistant in 2013, working under his predecessor, Dwane Casey, for six seasons.
Nurse was promoted to head coach during the 2018 offseason, just prior to the Raptors' acquisition of Kawhi Leonard in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs. Toronto finished the 2018-19 regular season with a 58-24 record and defeated the Orlando Magic in five games; the Philadelphia 76ers in seven games; the Milwaukee Bucks in six games; and the Golden State Warriors in six games during the postseason.
Nurse was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2020 after leading the Raptors to a 53-19 regular-season record, despite losing Leonard in free agency the following offseason. The Iowa native held several head coaching jobs internationally, as well as in the NBA G League, before joining the Raptors in 2013.
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