Interview with Toronto Raptors HC Nick Nurse

On this episode of the Heat Check. It's here, It's here. I've been teasing it for months. It is finally time to drop the one on one with Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse. You're gonna hear Nick Nurse talk about everything from roster construction to Scottie Barnes to jazz music. We cover and that's I'm not talking about Danny Ainge and Rudy Gobert. I'm talking about actual jazz. We cover just about everything. It's Nick ur Nurse's world and we are.

Just living in it. So do me a favor.

It's actually not true, but just drop the peak. So after the Jerry West interview, I decided I liked it narrating these and this is a very clean interview.

There is no audio issues.

But I do think that giving additional context and what we were doing, what we were thinking going into the interview in each section makes sense. So first and foremost, getting an interview with Nick Nurse has taken me years, literally literally years.

His book came out in twenty nineteen, I think twenty twenty.

And I tried to get I tried to get an interview with him in like the summer or fall of twenty twenty, and we.

Got it set up. It was happening. It was on this league.

He was all down to do it, and then all of a sudden, I don't know why, but the interview was canceled.

There was no there was no rescheduled date.

Nothing, And I've been trying to get him in, trying to get him in, trying to get him in, and head coaches in this.

NBA they're busy guys.

They're scheming, they're trading, they're wheeling, their dealing, they're traveling. And so while I was at summer league, I remembered, Oh, yeah, everybody's here. So I sent him a little texty text and I said, Hey, by any chance, do you have any time in the next day or two to sit down and finally do that interview. I could do it

Yes? How about today? Today? Perfect? Let's do it. So we did.

I think he's one of the most remarkably deep people, A very introverted dude, very funny, very gentle energy, a very musical. Everybody has talked about that, there's a million articles, but he actually brings his piano and his guitar with him everywhere he goes on the road. He had it with them at Summer League. He mentioned that to me. So the level of commitment to take that amount of

Than I expected.

How proud do you think she would have been to see you have your name in print as the author of your life story.

I don't know about that one, right, but I think that a couple of things. My mother would be proud of it.

I mean, she loved the Raptors, watched it, you know, never missed a game, had a lot of merchandise.

You know, she was a really big fan, obviously.

So, but she also was She'd be probably more proud of me that I'm still playing the piano and the things that she tried to get me to do when I was a kid that I was reluctant to do because I was chasing every ball bouncing that I could find, and have five older brothers and played every sport known known in our area and didn't want to play the piano there, but she ingrained it in me and.

I've come back to it. She'd probably be most proud of that, to be honest with you.

The fact that you did stuff creatively or the fact that that is now integrated into your life.

My mother was very her side of the family is super musical. I wouldn't say artsy, but they really believed in in you know, that everybody should play an instrument. That we had pianos in the house, and we had you know, like all my brothers and sisters played something right. It was in her side of the family. There's there's tons of like you know, their their professors and music at university now and like things like that.

So it's just it was just a thing for her that she really loved.

You know, She'd seen every musical that she could get to when she was growing up or whenever she could get to when she and she loved them.

That's it was just part of who she was.

Was she musical herself? No, really, no, she wasn't just enjoyed it.

She was a music lover to no end and really wanted the kids to share that.

How how did she feel about hip hop?

I don't think I ever had a conversation with her about that. I don't think so much.

My mother is an interesting story too, is she got married at twenty nine, started having kids at thirty, and had nine and so she was you know pretty pretty. Had me when she was forty three, so she was you know when I was coaching. We actually she passed away during the first year of my head coach right and gig when we were out on the West coast and got I mean the you know, got back. I did a lot of flying there. We were in we

But I think we had ever had a conversation about hip hop, just.

Never came up on the radio.

In next book, he also discusses how much friction the trade, the Demart Rosen trade made on the team, considering that Kyle Lowry and Tomorrow were best friends. Right Kyle Lowry was fucking pissed, and that's well documented, and he discusses how important it is to work through that friction, to handle the elephant in the room, to tackle that no matter what head on versus some things also needing to kind of let time cool them off and settle them down.

So I wanted to get his perspective.

On these types of situations and what he would do, given that James Harden left the Nets, given that what was looming around the summer league was that Kevin Durant wanted to be traded, and whether teams should allow time to pass, which they did, or whether they should appease these players and do whatever that is, whether that's trading them or firing a coach, what have you do? See that that's what the Nets did decide to do, and Kady decided to pull his trade request off the table.

How do you how do you make sense of that type of thing?

Well, first of all, it is there's a lot of things in this job that are part of the landscape or come with the territory. Right, So, accepting that these things are going to happen and knowing that you're going to have to deal with.

Them, I think prepares you.

When they do happen that it's not so stressful or such a worrying, lose sleep thing over. It's it's part of the business and it's part of the landscape, right.

So it's the first thing.

Second thing is I'm way more on the side.

Of, you know, let's talk it out.

You know what, what's the problem, and here's how you see it, Here's how I see.

It as a kind of curator of the organization, Like like my job is.

To do what's best for the organization at all times, right, so I have to give my viewpoint speaking for the entire organization.

A lot of the time.

So and and usually there is a lot of common ground, there's a lot of shared ideas, there's a lot of understanding that that that irons irons will sing out. I think what you mentioned of kind of taking your hands off the wheel and letting it play itself out it happens.

But I would probably be in the camp where I wouldn't do that as much.

I like to tackle as honestly and frankly as I can, whatever problems are facing us.

So do you think making those changes, whether that's changing coaches or allowing players to move teams, is that is that addressing the elephant?

Is that? What is that?

Like? Should should you say okay, like we're going to tackle whatever this issue is between player and coach or player and player, or do we just say okay, let's let them move on?

Or well? I think I think like in any group setting or relationship, there's always probably a point where sometimes

Know what I mean?

Like, I think I think there's a lot of talk about this, that and the other thing. In the reality, the problem isn't nearly as big as everybody's making it out to be right.

And it's interesting because media eyes we can use that, we can use that. It does feel to me that teams can be very quick to move on from a player and move them when they are asking to be moved. I think that there's no case more prominent than James Harden. I don't know what happened there. I don't know what the straw that broke the Harden's back was, but I wanted to hear his perspective on whether time could have

Listen to what he has to say about it, because.

When I think about, like James, I think that there was possibly a way a path forward for that to be repaired.

If there's success on.

The court, if you have all three of them together, especially since the mandate changed where Kai was able to play, you get success. Or maybe if Katie's foot wasn't on the line, you know, maybe things the course of NBA history is different, So maybe you say, you know I get you're not happy right now, but we're riding this thing out because we think we're a championship caliber team and we don't want the Dominos to fall from here.

Well, my first comment is this is I got enough to worry about with my own team, worry about what's happening with other teams.

Yeah.

I understand your point, broader point you're trying to make with the question, and I agree with you. I think, Yeah, I mean I don't have any idea of the specific so what right down there? But you know I would say what we just talked about sometimes letting time kind of heal it and trying to work through it.

You know, maybe we result a different outcome for sure.

Yeah.

Surrounding this Ktie trade request, there's a lot of boomers out here saying, fuck KD, don't trade him.

He's under team control. What can he do? Very old school.

Perspective, and they want to know pundits too. How come teams can't just say no? So I asked him, how come teams can't just say no? I think he's also what's interesting too, is he's very much on the side that players aren't very effective if they're not happy.

I think this.

I think that if someone becomes you know, disenchanted or super unhappy and miserable and they don't want to be there.

Yeah, and what are you going to get out of them? Right?

If they're just dead set that this is not working for me and I don't feel good here, I need a.

Change of scenery. I think that a team, we.

Probably don't want somebody that doesn't want to be there, right, And I think that's where it all stems from.

And yeah, maybe there was.

Less requests like that in the good old days, or maybe there was a lot more behind the scenes when it was so public or whatever.

Right, and they probably did again what you suggest that they write it out.

And they get through the stormy waters and it's okay, you know a little while later, you know, or they just like.

You said as well, if they just say we aren't trading you, you know, figure it out.

I mean, but I don't think that's that's really the culture we're in now.

What do you think is the ramifications of a team, like outside of that player interaction, reputation around the league or whatever. If it's if they say something like, I'm sorry, we can't get what we want from you, you're four years left or three years left, or whatever the case may be, and so you're kind of you're kind of here.

Well, I would say too that if you look at this from a player's point of view, you know, there's always a time where the team can just trade you too. They've got you under contract, and they aren't necessarily they're just boom moving you like out of nowhere.

Yeah, that happens a lot of time.

Right, So there's there's the players that see that and say, well, if that's the case, then why can't X be the case on our side too?

I don't know what was your question again, what do you think the ramifications are if somebody does.

Put their feet in the ground and say sorry, Well.

I think I think we see some ramifications where people would, you know, not look too kindly upon that.

Yeah, right, I think.

I think agents, other players, free agents, media.

You know, they get they get you know, they get you know.

A hard time, you know, maybe from fans, maybe from media, maybe from you know, whatever.

You know, Some of them do, some of them don't. Maybe it's just the individual case that matters.

In this era of sports, first round picks are being treaded away like crazy for teams that think that they can win right now, their articles being written about whether

For a trade. Not sense.

No team has been better about finding value late in the draft and also traded first round picks to get a star in order to win a title. I thought this was an apropos time to ask him about that, especially considering his assistant is the head coach of a team that just traded a million picks for Rudy Gobert.

I mean, obviously I hired to pick the better your chances of finding a good player that can impact your organization and be along round for a long time. But there's many, many, many cases of late first round, mid first round, second round players who are some of the best players in the league. So there's that part of it. But I think you're right they are, for lack of a better term, their assets for the organization right there, and you say, well, they're not.

Worth whatever, but you know what they are worth is.

Probably other chips to throw in another deal, right you know, They're just assets that get included in deals. And they seem to move around in circles a lot right now, right like you know, I'll saying, well, this team doesn't have.

Any picks, now what are they going to do?

And then they trade one of their stars and now they've got a whole bunch of them again m m. So it's like their assets their player right now, and if they give that player.

Up, they their assets become a bunch.

It's like a house, right, Like you've got a house that's worth or whatever a piece of You're like, oh, well, maybe I don't have a lot of cash in my bank account, but I've got all this real estate.

If I needed to flip it for cash, I could.

The go Bear trade Rock the Summer League.

So I asked Nick about it, knowing how close he is with Wolve's head coach Chris Finch, I wanted to get his explanation on why Minnesota pulled the trigger on Rudy Gobert and how he would get used to Carl Anthony Towns. Very fascinating conversation and a nice panacea the people who are saying that this trade made no sense. Clearly Nick feels Minnesota can win now and got better, a lot better. And what that also shows about what

Well, I think, first of all, answer the first part of your question. They obviously do a deal like that because they think they've got pieces.

To win now. I mean more than they are winning.

I'm not saying like win at all now, but i mean obviously that's everybody's end goal. But they obviously feel like they've got enough pieces that they went out and kind of gave up some of their future right for the immediacy of the results this season. Okay, so that's first part of why they do it. That's that's what they think, right, That's what any team would do that thinks they could make.

Could jump up, right, and how are they gonna play together? I think it's gonna be super interesting.

I think, I mean, Gobert who it is, who he is, right, He's gonna rim protect and lob dunk and and do what he does at a super high level.

I think Towns is you know, certainly plays a lot from the perimeter.

Yeah right, he shoots threes, he he trails and drives it a lot. He's a playmaker out there from the outside, even though he's got the size that he has.

So I think it'll work out just fine. I mean, I mean they'll have their they'll have their challenges.

You know, teams will say, well we can't match up with them, Well let's just go small and quick and see if we can't just drive around, you know whatever, play faster pair.

You know, they'll have some some you know ways, teams.

Will have some ways to try to go against the grain of what they have.

Because he just can't. Man, who's got who's got two guys that big?

Not very many teams, right, And to me it kind of feels like, as I watch from the outside, Wow, this team really wants to put Carl in position to do all the things that he does really well, doesn't have to play five, can kind of come off week side, be a block monster, but not worry about getting into foul trouble, not worry about shouldering the low defensively. And now you've got him really in the best potential spot and it kind of showcases what Minnesota thinks about him.

Don't you agree one hundred percent?

I think I think that he should have a lot more time to focus on his offensive skills, right instead of like you just mentioned all.

The things he has to do.

Now he's still gonna have to guard somebody. He's gonna have to guard for it. He's not like I don't think as well he's He's a he's a pretty pretty good defender already, I mean, not like I think people portray him to be.

But this will again. You know what's what's a strategy against Karl Anthony Townes, Well, it's to make him play defense every possession.

The Raptors very unique team filled with three and four's, no true center, a lot of guys somewhere between six seven and six'. Nine until they recently Drafted arizona Center Christian, coloco they did not have a true. Center but we are in the space right now where roster flexibility really, matters AND i wanted to ask him, about given how certain teams are really constructing that, roster how do you build something that can contend with? Anyone and what does

Building, YEAH i mean for, us you're, Right, like, listen we got a lot of.

Six eight and above guys with seven foot plus wingspans on our, team.

Like nine of, them, yeah, right or eight or nine something like.

That so we think that's a you, know interchangeable player that we can. Use and we Obviously scotty place point, Guard pascal place point.

Guard so we've got the ability to kind of go out there with the whole whole five of. Them but In christian's, case, again it makes us gives us. Something, again we don't really have a rim protected shot block lob, threat so it makes us more.

Versatile, Right like you, said there's certain games where you need, that there's certain games where you don't need, it, right and there's and it gives you a chance to at least have another kind of tool in the tool, KIT i. Think and that's WHY i like the. Pick and the big THING i like about it is really.

Really runs and he really moves his. Feet you, know it's not like he's you can't.

Play you can play every coverage with this guy and he can switch at seven foot he can get out there and move his feet and all that. Stuff so he's almost like another wing player even though he's over seven foot, tall.

Like A rob william. H, yeah yeah like.

That there's different models for different types of. Constructions, Right we're seeing The warriors go. Small we're Seeing cleveland at one point last season go super, big more traditional setups like What philly has done With Joel. EMBIID i wanted to know how you compete with these different. TEAMS i wanted to get his thoughts on the traditional big whether they're going. Extinct his answer was wildly interesting about how

Wing, WELL i think.

That the true seven footer was more of a banging, type throw it in the low post type of. Center that's what kind of the center position historically has been. Seen as, now as you've already, mentioned a bunch of, centers and most of them are a little bit more agile and you don't necessarily pound it inside to, them but they're more they're more screened the roll threats at the, rim they're more rim. Protectors they're they're able to switch and play you, know multiple coverages and.

Stuff so it's kind of.

WEIRD i think it's a it's a it's a weird situation because you, say, well the big man is is gone or it's a dying breed or.

Whatever, well what is? BIG i, mean these guys are seven seven one seven three seven. Foots it's pretty big in my. Book so and they are at the.

Center maybe is morphing into more of an athletic type of.

Position, yeah BECAUSE i hear you know a lot of people who will either make decisions in terms of who gets paid, Why they'll, say, well we anybody who can get rent off the floor shouldn't be GETTING x because you, know teams Like dallas OR la can basically go five out and and kind of yield you somewhat useless in this particular.

Matchup is that? Valid?

YEAH i think.

So, YEAH i think.

So and AGAIN i think that the key of that is probably being flexible.

Enough or strategic enough to combat.

IT i don't know about, you, guys BUT i was personally floored about The Scottie barnes pick watching that draft. NIGHT i think a lot of people thought they were going to Take Jalen, sucks especially considering how well he played in the.

Tournament it's a point guard driven, league et, cetera et.

Cetera they zigged when everyone expected them to, Zag and that was the first moment where it clicked for me what The raptors were trying to.

Do just a little bit of what they were trying.

To, Do SO i wanted AND i was always curious about the mindset of. It what exactly are you trying to build? Here it feels like you're doing, This why are you doing? It and what exactly are you looking For he gave a very robust answer and a very detailed answer about the types of players that they want on this, team probably one of the most detailed That i've, heard And i'm really happy to share it with you.

Scouting, yes, YEAH i MEAN.

I THINK i think what we're trying to do is or or you, know it's not.

Like like we made it up or.

ANYTHING i, mean it's, like it's, LIKE i want guys to be able to do. Everything, yeah, RIGHT i want them to grab a rebound.

And push it up, befloor be able to.

Pass create offense at the end of a semi break or you, know a transition type. Play want them to be able to. SWITCH i want them to be able to drive it to the. Rim want them to be able to space up and shoot it.

Three you want them to be.

Able to play pick and roll as the, handler play pick and roll as the.

Center Right, again it's just can we get a bunch of guys that are, really you, know a Versatile can they do it? All you? Know can they drive? It can they shoot? It can they? Post can they? Rebound can they? Switch can they you?

Know and that's that's you know Ask but, YEAH i, know it's like it's, like you, know everybody's talked about.

Positionless right there is no position everybody's doing.

EVERYTHING i heard a quote on that SAME NBA tv interview you did where it was competitiveness and love for the game.

Was what we were really impressed with in terms Of. Scottie that was the number one.

Thing h is The can you talk a little bit about the intangible of love for the game and tangible for ultimate competitor because that's something everyone can kind of, Say, ye.

How do you how do you see.

It, yeah you see, it, well you see.

It you know with, him he's, again he's super, infectious like like loves, basketball Loves, toronto loves.

Being a raft, or like he was so excited when we picked.

Him and you, KNOW i mean just there's just a lot of passion there that fuels a lot of his.

You, know great.

Play you, know it gets him in the gym working, Hard it gets him in the weight room getting stronger so he can be more. Physical it gets him working on on his. GAME i, mean he loves to, Play he loves the, guard he loves to. Pass those are pretty good, qualities, right you, know he he loves defense and he loves seeing his teammates score off of one of his.

Passes and that is a it's a little, unique RIGHT i.

Think AND i think he's got a super super future ahead of him because he's got some really good foundational points to his.

Character you could tell he was super loyal because he came for and Defended og when all that stuff was going. ON i was, Like, wow for a young rookie to defend his teammate one year in AND i was, like, wow that's really.

Impressive as a natural, leader you, know even though he's only twenty and he's, he's you, know a rookie on the. Team he just has that kind of personality and game and plays with you, know leading by example quite a, bit and he's just kind of a you know guy people gravitate.

Too when The raptors Traded Kyle, lowry it left behind a leadership gap that has taken some time to. Fill in this, Clip nick speaks about what it means to have veteran leadership and how having good veterans actually helped the entire team and not just young, players actually get better and how that changes the culture of a.

Squad do you think.

The love of the game is the number? One, LIKE i guess make break you if you see someone six seven to six, nine they can do all those, things but they don't quite have, That like maybe they'll take time off or maybe you feel like they kind of halfway love, it kind.

Of halfway Don't is?

That?

LIKE a is that the number one?

QUALIFIER i MEAN i think.

SO i mean it's it's you could say it is that or you could say it as competitive, spirit RIGHT, Yea like the desire to win and the desire to get better fuels your energy to go.

To work every. Day. Yeah, Right like the guys.

That are real pros at, that you, know like they understand what AN nba day.

Is you, know it's.

It's in, early it's it's eating, well it's, lifting it's, massage it's shooting, drills it's, film it's, practice it's.

Massage, again it's cold, tub it's hot, tub it's you, know in five o'clock you go.

Home you, know it's like, yeah and it doesn't bother, them like they get, it and they have the juice and the energy to do that every day because they know that that's the level of greatness they're trying to.

Attains that structures built in like in terms of so say someone comes into the league they're, rookie is that like five. O'clock they have to they have to build.

That everybody does that cost everybody does, that and they have they have to learn what being a pro. Is and and they, see you, know they see some of the really good players and what they do and they learn from.

It one of the things that made me WHEN i was in, sales one of the THINGS i was the bottom quartile and sales the thing that really took me from bottom quartile to top was organization and. Structure AND i basically just borrowed it from someone who was really good at, it because it's it Makes i'm not great at it at.

ALL i just took it and copied it and followed.

It is that something that young guys learned from from? Vets and are there certain vets that are really really good and organized and passed those things?

Down that's what the vets. Do they teach, them you, know how to be true. Professionals they set the, town the, organization your your, organization you work for the culture there probably spurred some of that for, You.

Andy that does the same for our.

Players, yeah and it and it and it's really infectious and it's really something that goes from one guy to the, next like you, know like for, US i can't be you, know our player development that people talk so much about is you, know truly twelve months a year and the new guys come in and they get on board because the train's moving and in the it looks like it's going in the right, direction so they get on.

Board you, know who's the BEST vet that you've been around that does that really?

Well?

WELL i mean there's a bunch of, them, RIGHT i, mean there's THERE'S i could give, you, know Certainly kawhi was was super interesting to watch him again like put in his day at the office like.

That, yeah and.

Again it never phased him like, oh you, know get getting out of the car in the, MORNING i got to do this.

Again like that wasn't even anywhere in his sphere of, thought, right it was just like this is.

It i'm going for a level of greatness and here's the, day here's the day of work ahead of.

Me Kyle lowry's like. THAT i, Mean Kyle's kyle's like six.

Am he's running and he's you, know like he's done working out before everybody else he even gets to the, building you know WHAT i, Mean like like you, know so there's there's some real tone setters there in the in the.

Organization there are a ton of teams that draft on. Potential they are very reluctant to take an older player like A Chris dwarte for, example.

Someone who played three or four years in.

College they just don't feel as high on because they don't have as much quote unquote. Upside, right we know what their upside. Is it's a new, philosophy really going and finding players who are as young as they can, come and you imagine who they could possibly, be even though though they've only shown glimpses of that. Thing Allah shade and sharp, RIGHT i wanted to know What nick thinks about. That gave a very political, answer a very diplomatic.

FROM i just just spoke at at a conference and with the guy speaking in front of, me they asked him about he's a front office, guy and they asked him about the exact same, question like this potential, thing what do you think? About and there's guys getting drafted that didn't even average five points.

And he and, he.

He, said listen WHAT i told you, BEFORE i got enough to worry ABOUT i DON'T i don't need to criticize or worry about.

What other teams are. DOING i didn't have to worry about my own. Team but.

He, Said i'm in the school of and he mentioned fort and he, really, yeah he mentioned him and said that guy can, play and that's the School i'm. In that's the School i'm in the guy can, play and, uh And i'm not very good at looking down the road and, potential like he, Said i'm not smart enough to do that or. Whatever So i'm in The i'm in the school that the guy can. Play AND i WOULD i would say that there's just different ways to

There.

Yeah it was an interesting watching kind of the pre draft content Around shaden because no one's really Seen shaden play five on five in a year and a, half and at that point you have to be drafting on you, know what you think he would be versus guys that have been in the league or in college for in college for three four. Years which player other Than kaloco do you think is going to BECOME i GET i guess the longest career Pro, like could you see just coming out of this?

Draft do you? Think, WELL i don't.

KNOW i mean there's a lot of. Guys obviously there's a bunch of. Them the number one pick is a good. Player he's got a great, body you.

Know you, KNOW i think he's he's huge and. STRONG i saw him play a lot this.

Year one of my, Assistants Adrian griffin's son was started at the agent, Yea SO i saw them play a, lot and you, KNOW i see A i see a, big, strong athletic guy with a lot of.

Skill those are usually pretty good qualities for a, good good.

Career but you, KNOW i guess you never, know you, KNOW i, MEAN i really like just some other guys THAT i know a little bit. MORE i really Like Keegan murray And iowa to watch them play a lot a Where i'm.

FROM i Like Ben matherin coached him with The canadian.

Team you, know there's some GUYS i have a little bit more knowledge and seeing them.

Play a little bit more THAT i think are going to be.

Good in this conversation or this part of the, CONVERSATION i wanted to get his thoughts On canadian. Players, nick if you don't, know is the coach of The canadian Of Team, canada and there's a bunch of Young cannadian players that are rising to. PROMINENCE i wanted to understand why that was. Happening why are all of These canadian players rising to this level of. Stature why are we seeing kids Like Shay, Gilgis alexander and Lou dort come

ZIP a lot of a lot of pros.

Coming out Of canada right now and a lot of Good canadians THAT i think there's like almost like an. Emergence you're seeing this, happen Right and do you see?

That and like why do you think that's?

Happening certainly it's kind of like this golden era of basketball In canada on a lot of.

Fronts you, know one The raptors winning it.

In twenty, nineteen you think that mattered?

All it mattered a little, Bit it mattered from a standpoint of basketball.

Is really like front and.

Center, yeah it's the true For. Canada it's the true kind of melting. Pot everybody from everywhere is What canada kind of, is and they all relate to, basketball Right.

So that's one.

THING a, listen you know when you, go WHEN i, go you, know talk to those guys about you know. What you, know the guys in My canadian, natally some of the younger.

Guys what spurred you, guys you know was it? Was it was It Vince. Carter you, know everybody Says Vince carter like turned on this generation to. Basketball and, they you, know.

They all say to, me, no, man it's Like Corey joseph and you, know it's Like wiggins and you, know the guys that, like we're like right here playing with, us a few years ahead of, us and we see them making it and and and you know they're setting you, KNOW i don't like like R. J salwigans get drafted high when he was probably LIKE i don't, KNOW i don't want to get it thirteen fourteen years old and SAID i want to be that, guy you, Know AND

In those youth.

Groups they've they really are committed to building these guys. Out my bosses At Canada, Basketball Rowan barrett And Michael.

Meeks they.

Don't they uncover every stone Across canada behind these guys and get them in positions where they can you, know, Succeed and they've done done an amazing job of just guys keep coming.

Through but a lot of people playing up.

There there's a lot of talent and probably should keep happening.

At is it a matter too of like seeing what a player like some of the things that they're good at so early and helping them develop like how do and putting a plan in place for them to develop certain skills for BEING nba.

Ready, maybe BUT i think it's probably more of just. Opportunity yeah, right it's it's you.

Know, whatever wherever they see a kid, play you, know a fourteen year old or thirteen year old or, something and they, say you, know there's, something there's something there with. Him he's got, size he's got, athleticism or he's look at in places it's interesting, Whatever and then they find, out you, know some background, work and then they decide where they can send, them and usually they'll send them to a good.

Program and then that kind of takes care.

Of, it you know What i'm, Saying like they just get them in the right place to to, learn get, coached play and grow. Up and they just do a good job of. That there's a lot of places that they can send, them.

And they put them in right.

Places sometimes outside Of, Canada, Right, yeah SOMETIMES i think What ben went To.

Mexico, yeah They've they've had guys go a bunch of you, know a bunch of prep schools and a bunch of.

Places, yeah that's fascinating to me just how different that is than THE us and international basketball as a. Whole WHEN i Watched jancho hern And gomez play Bow cruise and he was training in the, HUSTLE i said to myself, that right there is the kind of Player Nick nurse would. WANT a guy who's like almost seven feet, tall can handle like a, guard can put a ball through tires that are.

Moving he's going around, screens he's.

Shooting deep, threes he's setting, screens he's. Rolling not only is he the one that's doing, that he's also the one coming off the screens and.

Shooting so asked, him have you seen the?

Hustle he had, not but they did sign Boaw, Cruise SO i assume after this interview.

He watched it and must have.

AGREED i think this is a kid who is the perfect role player for The.

Raptors did you See hustle by any? Chance who like a million?

PERSON i have not seen it. Yet list for.

Sure, yeah but international basketball scouting is kind of like front and.

Center in that in that. Movie, yeah you have to. It it's.

AMAZING i think the thing that's interesting about the amount Of canadian players that are coming into prominence are the fact that not only are they really good at getting buckets Like Andrew, wiggins we're getting some of these dogs Like Ben, Matherin we're getting a little loose dorts of the. World and, since LIKE i, Said Nick Coach's Team, CANADA i wanted to ask him.

You think that they could Beat TEAM? Usa what do you?

Think his answer was delightful and shows they are backing down from absolutely no. One do you Think Team canada there's some studs on, there, Right Shae, wiggins Door.

BEN i, mean it's just the list goes on and. ON i THINK i made kind of.

Like A Josh primo who a lot of people he's been the darling of The Summer league this.

Year he's kind of high on.

Him Dylan brooks Kem burch all those, Guys, like do you think that team.

Beats TEAM?

USA i think that team has a chance to get itself in position to do very, well RIGHT i, WOULD i.

WOULD i would say they've got a lot of, depth and.

They. Do but here's the, thing, though there's a lot of players deciding to opt out Of TEAM usa to get their body right for THE.

Nba.

YEAH i, MEAN i think when it comes down to, it, though when you get to The, olympics you, KNOW i think a lot of they're going to get a good good. Right SO i, mean, listen we gotta we gotta our guys play against those guys every.

Day our goal would be to make sure we can get our guys, there try.

To get them together a, bit you, know let them play over a couple of. Summers that always helps chemistry and, continuity and you don't we certainly shouldn't be afraid to play.

Them in knixt, book it was clear that there was a lot of challenges inside of the.

Bubble how could you not have? Them it seemed.

Like the, worst, honestly but no team faced the issues That toronto had faced having to play games In Tampa bay for an entire year with a group of fans that were not fans of them and did barely even know they were, there away from home for three, months quarantining wristbanding to not going close to one, another sci fi. STUFF i wanted to get his perspective on not only the, bubble but what it was like In Tampa. Bay AND i wanted to see if there was a positive side that people don't often talk.

About you said that wasn't a huge fan of the. BUBBLE i get, That LIKE i opted out of.

That was there anything or is there anything that you think about in.

Terms of what you did in the bubble or?

Experience is there relationship that you look back on and like with nostalgia with like fond.

MEMORIES i, mean, YEAH i.

Mean it was it was, okay, right it was.

Okay like the best thing was the ease of just going from your hotel room to the games and practice and.

Stuff you, know you're it's not like a typical road game where you're getting home at three thirty in the.

Morning you know it's been bed by, eleven you. Know, yeah they just walked down the hall and go to the room and call it. Bed so that was nice and SO i think more than, anything it was good to just be able to figure out a way to continue.

Playing that was, Great but.

My thoughts more like, NOW i mean even this, MORNING i was thinking about, it LIKE i was looking out over our summer league practice and and just looking about how great it was and thinking of back to when we started going into the, bubble like we had one player and.

One coach allowed in the.

Gym, wow they would work out and then somebody would come in and clean the whole, gym and then one more player and one coach would come, In like and you now you're looking out and seeing all these, coaches all these, players all the front off everybody in, there like you, know literally hundreds of people out of, practice and it's just like it's incredible to think back to that one, player one coach from eight in the morning till ten at night to get everybody through the.

Door you.

Know, yeah and it kind of like doesn't have a very vibey, thing like like there's not much vibe. THERE massi, said when you guys went To, tampa AND i made jokes about this on the, pod like no one is harsher for no. Reason Then Tampa bay people on The raptors for just no, Reason LIKE i saw stories they were just booing for no. Reason And massia said he thought being there set the team back a, year and if you guys would have had to be there another, year it would have set the franchise back.

Five how.

Come first of, All tampa was a very enjoyable place to.

Live, yeah it was.

Great we had an incredible job of setting up a practice facility and all that.

Stuff but a couple of. Things, one most of the Local tampa people didn't.

Even know we were Thereause i'd be at the park with my kids or, Whatever, sure what are you doing?

Here And i'd be, like, like, what you, know what are you talking?

About you a lot of Coaches John, rapers but we're playing out Of tampa because go with.

It and they'd be, like you, know like didn't make an. Impact that was one thing. Too we didn't have a lot of.

Crowds we were shut down a lot going to no fans to then they let three or four thousand in and most of them would be cheering for The heat or The lakers or. Whatever so that was even like another kick to the back. Side, Yeah so it was just everything was. Strange it just felt really strange the whole time we were.

There so the, strangeness, though why does that set a friend.

Like how does that set franchise?

Back?

Though in terms of what you're trying to.

Build is it just the continuity in.

The place that you're supposed to, be is? It?

YEAH i just think.

That well put it this, way, like we have a lot Of canadians that work for, us, right and they've never really lived outside of anywhere But, canada.

And they got kids in school and they're taking.

Them out of, school AND i mean it is uprooting everybody's like flow and rhythm from a lot.

Of, standpoints and it just again they're.

Just there was not a very good. Flow and now, listen we actually started playing really. WELL i, MEAN i don't even remember where we finished that. Year it was pretty, low eleventh maybe or, twelfth but we were at one point up to.

Fourth we had a really bad start To intent two and.

Eight or, something lost a bunch of buzzer beaters in the first two. Weeks then we got, going you, know we went To philly and beat. Him philly came down would beat him back to. Back we went To brooklyn one and went To boston and one like we just picked off everybody at the top right in a, row won a bunch of, game got up to.

Like, fourth and then we lost our entire team TO.

Covid, yeah for like three weeks, plus and we still had to keep going out there and.

Getting then we just like we lost maybe eleven in a row and we never really recovered from.

That. YEAH i didn't get too much time to talk about this book in depth because we'd already gone a full. Hour but it's probably one of the best books on Basketball i've ever. Read it's Called. Rapture if you haven't read, it pick it up at the, library buy it. Whatever BUT i did want to delve in a little bit into the. Title if you haven't picked up a, copy LIKE i, said do. It you're gonna learn a lot

On is the?

Title?

Yeah really quite a, word, right?

Rapture how did you come upon that?

Title?

Yeah what were you trying to? Communicate i'm not sure.

Your friends into.

Publishing i'm not SURE i fall into that category IF i took great care in that title or. Not to be honest with, YOU i you, know when it goes, down they start sending titles and asking for your, feedback And i'm pretty laid back.

MAN i was just, like what do you guys think is? Best and that's when it kind of ended, up SO i let them roll with.

It really, yeah because the definition they, said it's like the, title what is?

It it's a.

Better describes like the reaching the pinnacle of basketball?

Coaching think is like getting to? Ascend is that kind of what that meant to?

Them or like to win a title is getting to the pinnacle of your?

CAREER i don't.

KNOW i THINK i think it was more Like.

I'm not like the household name or, anything, Right AND i think they were with.

The title being so long and drawn, out they were.

Trying to they were trying to explain like like what this book was this person is right and what and what why you should buy it or read. IT i GUESS i guess nobody ever told me, that but that's kind of my.

Guess there's a lot of news About Nick nurse being courted by The Los Angeles. Lakers there's no fucking, way there's no. Shot did you see how dysfunctional this place is compared to The, raptors the gold standard of how to run a. Team there was no shot he was going to The, lakers not even sure why those reports were. Out did not fit his personality type in any. WAY i want to get his thoughts on those headlines that were coming out about him and why he thought that they WERE i had to.

ASK i had to. Ask his answer did not.

Disappoint but you don't strike me as AN la guy like you strike me as someone who wants to have a, nice low key and also the culture that you guys have been building In.

Toronto AM i wrong about?

That?

NO i don't think. SO i, MEAN i don't. Know, again you know where that stuff comes? From? Sometimes obviously you said.

You know the news is semi, yeah fake, news but, yeah so you don't know where they. START i GUESS i guess you'd take it as a, compliment right that. THAT i, mean it's a historic. FRANCHISE i Got, lebron you, know playing for. Him it's La it's The, lakers you, know all that, Stuff so you take a little bit of take the. Compliment i'm just.

Really focused on the. RAPIT i, MEAN i Loved. TORONTO i coached the national. TEAM i, like, Yeah i'm.

Like you're.

EMBEDDED i love.

It SO i don't know. Contracts.

YEAH i.

Also finally Got nick to do some rapid fire, questions just a fun little game to get you the listener to know him a little bit. Better AND i think that even though he's a bit, introverted a little bit like, me when you get to know, him he's very, funny very, insightful very interested in other people doing well and helping. Others, yeah by the, way no reason to do this interview with. ME i think THE pr people were actually kind of mad that he decided to do.

It it gets a lot of.

Interview, requests but of, course being the mench that he, is he decided to say yes since it was two years in the. Making and of, course as we, know and what you'll find out here is he has a very elite basketball.

Mind let's do a couple of like rapid. Fires are you? Ready LAST tv?

Show you?

Binged Breaking Bad?

Again start bench?

Cut Eric, Clapton Damian, MARLEY Bb king what start bench?

Cut? Yeah pull three. Starters start actually those.

Three because they're like it's a hard, decision like my.

Favorite, yeah seriously, STARTING i can't cut.

Any of, them so you. Can't this Is i'm not answering this. QUESTION i Love. Clapton he's one of the first CONCERTS i saw that like turned me into a lover of blues. MUSIC i saw him in nineteen ninety one at The Royal Albert hall In, london and he was playing twenty four nights there AND i saw him perform with The London Real Philharmonic, orchestra and LIKE i was like, Wow AND i started going backwards and tracking

OUT i took a.

Course from his biographer photographer The history Of blues In. America we became friends and so deep INTO Bb king as. Well and if you ask me what my top three favorite songs are one of them is gonna be welcome To Jim rock From Damian.

Marley so pick some good those three. People favorite memory from coaching in The London.

Games favorite memory was walking down the hallway going out.

To the first. Game it was it was a temporary.

Gym it was kind of a weird long hallway and me And Chris finch were like the only two guys walking out to open the door to go on the, court AND i remember just stopping him and, saying, man thanks for letting me be a part of.

This this is like we're gonna go through those. Doors it's gonna be really, something. Man and that's my favorite.

Memory tough, day tough.

Loss what's the song that you play either on the guitar or on the.

Piano, well the SONG i play the most is Probably Purple rain By prince and that again goes back to you, know being childhood. MEMORY i rode A greyhound bus WHEN i was seventeen years, old about six hours To minneapolis to see The Purple.

Rain tour in eighty four, wow and have never been the same. Since SO i play. That probably the.

Most, nice best trash talking player in THE, NBA.

I don't Know i'm not very good at the trash talking. Stuff you trash talk all the. TIME i think who is good at? It? Though?

Right how about the most trash talking.

Again difficult. Question, wow it's Probably.

Draymond, yeah he talks a.

Lot. Yeah does anybody Rival Larry bird at?

That, AGAIN i.

Can't give first hand knowledge to, that but the stories you, hear AND i was fortunate have spent a lot of time Around.

Kevin, McHale SO i heard a lot of a lot of those. Stories he's one of the all time great.

STORYTELLERS i BET i doubt it best trash talking coach in THE.

Nba there's no coaches trash, talk you don't, think so that's a. Lie you're, smiling you're, smirking like that's.

False you guys aren't competitive with one another at, all not in the, hall really.

Not you're really, honestly you're really in your own sphere so, much and you don't really.

Like cross paths with the other head coaches very.

Much you, know, seriously there's times when there's like really good friends of mine on the other's bench and you don't even get to see.

Them you come into the, town.

You play the, game you're on the, plane you're, gone and literally it's like you wave down and that's about.

It.

Sometimes last, one what do you think it would be like to have AN nba team And?

Vegas, YEAH i MEAN i think it's a good, market.

RIGHT i think they've proven that with the other THE, nhl in THE, NFL. WNBA i think it's a great.

Market.

Cool thank you so, much my, Man Nick nurse giving me some. TIME i appreciate.

You you're, welcome thanks for having.

Me that's all the time that we have for The Heat.

Check, sincere thanks To Nick nurse for carving out time for me At Summer. LEAGUE i apologize to the folks in The Toronto RAPTORS pr department for not clearing it through. You next, TIME i. WILL i promise we will be back next week with an all new episode featuring the final encore from the logo, Himself Jerry. West we will be breaking down rookies and young players that are At Summer league who they could, become what they like about, him what he likes about, them and help you prepare