GLOBAL NEWS
April 21, 2023
The Toronto Raptors fired Nick Nurse four years after the head coach led the team to its first NBA championship victory.
The team confirmed the leadership change in a press release on Friday morning.
“The decision to make a change like this is never made easily or lightly, especially when it comes from someone who has been an integral part of this franchise’s most storied achievements and has been a consistent leader throughout. from some of our team members. more difficult times,” President Masai Ujiri said in a statement.
“This is an opportunity for us to reset, to refocus, to place the personnel and the players that will help us reach our goal of winning our next championship.”
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The Raptors failed to make the playoffs this season, losing to the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Play-in Tournament.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Ujiri said the past year has been “very disappointing” and the team has lost some of its momentum.
“It’s not a person or a finger to point,” he said. “And there’s no way to point fingers at Nick. I have to take responsible responsibility for this too. As the leader of this organization, I will always do that, but it wasn’t us this year.”
“I think everyone saw that.”
Ujiri stressed that the decision was made by the management and that he did not listen to the players.
Nurse joined the Toronto Raptors as an assistant coach in 2013 before being promoted to head coach in 2018.
He helped lead the team to its first NBA championship in 2019, winning 58 in his first season. Nurse was named the league’s coach of the year for his efforts.
However, the team hasn’t made a deep playoff run since.
The nurse’s contract was set to expire in 2024 and there were rumors that the team might go in a different direction.
“I love it here. I love it here and we’ve built a really strong culture,” Nurse told the Canadian Press just a week ago.
“We all have to evaluate how we can get that culture where we need it and get back to being a playoff team and then get to the level of winning it all. That’s what we want to do.”
Last season, the Raptors were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Philadelphia 76ers.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE RAPTORS?
Ujiri would not comment on who was on the short list to replace Nurse in the upcoming NBA season. He said that starting today, the staff will have some internal discussions to find someone who fits not only the team’s culture, but also a coach who can “rebuild the spirit.”
He also hinted that there might be a roster change.
“I think changes are going to be made on all fronts,” he said, indicating that he didn’t enjoy watching the Raptors play this year.
“I think sometimes there comes a time when there’s a little bit of complacency… I think some selfishness seeped in.”
“Whoever wants to win is going to come with us.”
Ujiri said he hopes to have a new head coach by the time the NBA draft begins in June.
The Toronto Raptors finished ninth in the Eastern Conference this season.
The fans are not happy.
We hope this change is the best for the team.
Let’s keep supporting the Raptors
report by María Ocampo
