21 April 2023 , 14:07
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The Toronto Raptors have fired their hero head coach Nick Nurse just days after their 2022/23 NBA season ended with a playoff defeat to the Chicago Bulls.
Rumours surrounding Nurse's uncertain future with the Raptors have grown in recent weeks, and according to ESPN the 55-year-old's time with the franchise has finally come to an abrupt end. Nurse began his coaching career with the Raptors back in 2013 when he was brought in as an assistant.
Five years later, he was then promoted to lead the Raptors has head coach in 2018, where he went on to make history with instant success.
In the 2018/19 season, Nurse guided the Toronto-based to their one and only NBA championship having seen off the Golden State Warriors in the finals. His impressive achievement was later recognised, after being voted 2020 NBA Coach of The Year.
Nurse led his team into this season's playoffs but their journey was quickly ended by the Bulls, having lost 109-105 at the Scotiabank Arena. Speaking after his final game as Raptors boss, he said "Certainly, it was a difficult season.
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Nick Nurse secured the NBA title back in 2019 (AP)"With what the team accomplished last year with 48 wins, you always want to take a step forward there and we never got to take a step forward. On the other hand, there were some challenges, there were quite a few challenges but guys hung in there.
"They were responsive, they were attentive, they worked hard, they were trying hard. All those things. And they tried to play through a lot of these outside distractions.” According to ESPN, former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka is being considered a 'serious candidate' to replace Nurse.
The 55-year-old is not expected to be out of the game for long though, with the same report linking the former Raptors man to the vacant Houston Rockets head coach role.