Nurse, who lost his job behind the Toronto Raptors bench at the end of last NBA season, was expected to continue leading the Canadiens through to the Paris Olympics. In August 2021, he had also signed a three-year contract extension with the national team.
But his new duties as head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers led him to change plans.
Nick Nurse
Photo : Associated Press / Matt Slocum
The Canadian team is now looking to 40-year-old Spaniard Jordi Fernandez to rally the troops. Fernandez is an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings. He has also directed the Spanish and Nigerian national program in the past.
Fernandez was a candidate for the head coaching position with the Raptors after Nurse left.
Canada will take part in the FIBA World Cup from August 25 to September 10 in hopes of earning Olympic qualification for the first time in over twenty years.
The last participation of the maple leaf in the Olympic tournament dates back to Sydney, in 2000.
But the country now has several established NBA players, such as Jamal Murray, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, Bennedict Mathurin, Luguentz Dort and Dillon Brooks.
With information from CBC Sports
2023-06-27 22:20:06
#Canadian #basketball #team #coach
