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NBA FINALS: WARRIORS VS. RAPTORSJune 13, 2019Nick NurseOakland, California - Postgame 6 Toronto - 114, Golden State - 110 Q. There was so much that happened between the last year's off season and where you're sitting right now. Can you talk about what it means to have gone through all that becoming first-year head coach and after all the changes in the off-season getting Kawhi Leonard, culminating in the city's first championship for Toronto. NICK NURSE: Yeah. It was a heck of a 12 months. And I don't know, I just try to take things as they come. Didn't look too far ahead. Obviously when we made some a additions to the team, we thought we could be good, but we had no idea what the health status was and all those things. Again, you just got to go take the guys you got and go play and manage it the best you can. And then look at the opponents and try to figure out a way to beat them. It was a great group, though. They really played together. I thought they really fought hard, they were tough-minded. They didn't seem like this was wearing on them at all. Two months of playoff basketball, they never seemed tired to me. Mentally they kept wanting film sessions, they kept wanting to walk through things, they kept wanting to keep learning and improving. And I think that was a big key because we had to do that in the playoff run because we really hadn't had all that much time together. Q. Every Eastern Conference team that began the season aspiring to get to The Finals knew there was a good chance that they would run into the Golden State Warriors. How much does it add to what you guys have accomplished that you beat a team that will be considered one of the greatest in league history? NICK NURSE: Well, first of all, you're right. I think that you thought, get through the East and the chances were you were going to be playing Golden State. I mean, I probably stayed up late and watched Golden State more than anybody just for the heck of it. Just to see what they were doing and all that kind of stuff. I don't know, it means a lot for our city and the country and for these players, staff. An incredible group of people, my assistant coaches and the support staff. And I don't know if it would have meant any more or any less, to be honest with you. You get the win and you're just happy you got it and celebrate that fact. Q. As you saw the attrition in their team, the injuries and the fact that they were still in it right up to Steph's shot at the end, I mean does it, does it add to the respect that people in the league would have for a team like that? NICK NURSE: A hundred percent. That was hard on them. I think they had a rough year injury-wise, and they kept playing. They got through some playoff rounds and guys in and out. And obviously a lot of things, a lot of bad breaks in The Finals, to be honest. Like us, they kept on playing. We just had to keep on playing no matter who was out there. And I think they were super intense high level games and both teams desperately trying to win. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Kerr and his staff and their players, for sure. Q. I know you are your least favorite topic, so I'm probably going to regret asking this question, but what do you think your story says as far as a guy who played mid major, a guy who had to go to Britain, a guy who had to win a couple titles in the G League before you got that phone call to come talk about offense and the story you were telling earlier yesterday or today, they all blend in now. What do you think your story is going to mean to the coach who doesn't think he's ever going to get the shot? NICK NURSE: Well, I would hope it inspires some people that are in those situations to keep working. I always say that all those jobs meant the world to me at the time, right, winning with Birmingham in '96, winning with Rio Grande Valley, whatever year that was. And those games and jobs meant the world to me and I loved all those jobs. I think you can't do very good work if you don't love what you're doing. I just, I don't know, and I never really got discouraged. I didn't really care at the level I was coaching at, I was just trying to learn and get better. That's it. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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