Last year’s championship was a dream season on so many levels for Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse.
Not only did Nurse lead the Raptors to their first ever title as a rookie head coach, not only did he inherit a stacked roster with the additions of Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and Marc Gasol, but Nurse also grew close to his idol, Phil Jackson.
Nurse explained in an interview with Ros Gold-Onwude of The Boardroom that he was connected with Jackson in the summer of 2018, shortly after his promotion to head coach of the Raptors. Alex McKechnie, Vice President of Player Health and Performance, who worked with Jackson during the Lakers’ three-peat, made the introduction and Nurse ended up spending three days in Montana with Jackson as they discussed coaching and other interests.