In just two seasons on the job, Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse has won an NBA title and earned the right to coach in the all-star game on Feb. 16.
Nurse clinched the latter honour Friday after the Raptors defeated the Detroit Pistons. He and his coaching staff will be at the helm of Team Giannis.
The head coach of the top-seeded team in each conference as of Feb. 2 will head to Chicago for the all-star game, but the Milwaukee Bucks’ Mike Budenholzer earned the distinction last year, making him ineligible to coach in this year’s showcase.
This won’t be Nurse’s first time on the sidelines of an all-star game. The 52-year-old served as an assistant on Dwane Casey’s staff at the 2018 event.
Toronto will be well-represented in the Windy City, with Pascal Siakam named as a starter in the game and Kyle Lowry earning a reserve spot. Rookie Terence Davis had a strong case to participate in the Rising Stars game, but was ultimately snubbed.
The game itself will feature a revamped format in honour of the late Kobe Bryant.
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