76ers coach Nick Nurse will embark on his first season leading the franchise when Philadelphia goes on the road to face the Bucks on Thursday night at Fiserv Forum.
Nurse begins a new chapter after spending five seasons as the Raptors coach from 2018 to ’23, winning an NBA title in ’19 and NBA Coach of the Year in ’20. Leading a new franchise also comes with embracing the fans of the new city.
Ahead of Thursday’s marquee matchup, Nurse shared the difference he’s observed between Toronto fans versus those residing in the City of Brotherly Love.
“When a Toronto fan would see me in the airport, kinda say, ‘Hey coach’ [slight wave], and a Philly fan would come up to me and say, ‘Hey, are you going to do this, this and this?’ I mean they were coaching me, they were not just saying hello,” Nurse said in an interview for Philadelphia’s Sixers All-Access series.
One storyline that will certainly be on the minds of Philadelphia fans is the impact of James Harden, who returned to the 76ers training facility on Wednesday ahead of the team’s practice after a 10-day hiatus from the franchise. Harden is not expected to travel with the team for the season opener at Milwaukee, according to multiple reports.
Philadelphia named Nurse the head coach in May after the franchise parted ways with former coach Doc Rivers following the Sixers’ disappointing second-round playoff loss to the Celtics.
