In one of the most dramatic coaching shifts in recent memory, Nick Nurse went from assistant to champion faster than anyone imagined. The Toronto Raptors, fresh off a 59-win season, stunned the basketball world in 2018 by firing head coach Dwane Casey, who had just won NBA Coach of the Year. His replacement? A first-time NBA head coach—Nick Nurse.
The decision was risky. Nurse had only been an assistant for five years and was best known for coaching in the G-League and in Europe. But the front office had a bold vision—and it paid off in historic fashion.
In his first season, Nurse led the Raptors to a 58–24 record. But the real magic came in the postseason. With the addition of Kawhi Leonard, Nurse crafted defensive schemes that flummoxed elite opponents. His infamous box-and-one defense against Steph Curry in the Finals turned heads across the league. Nurse’s Raptors beat the Warriors in six games, delivering Toronto’s first-ever NBA title in 2019.
From G-League coach to world champion in a single year, Nick Nurse’s story is proof that sometimes, the right risk is worth taking—even if it means firing the reigning Coach of the Year.
