If Canada is playing a quarter-final of the World Cup this Wednesday and won its ticket to the Paris Olympics, it is obviously thanks to its performance for ten days, with Jordi Fernandez at its head. But also thanks to the work of Nick Nurse, his predecessor.
The former Raptors coach was Canada coach from 2019 to last June and he is watching the results of his former team with joy.
“I am happy to see this program shine so much”he confided to The Star. “They are doing a remarkable job, I am delighted for them. From 2019 to today, with me, it’s been a hell of a process to get there so I’m happy to see that they materialize our project, our goal, our dream. »
At the origin of a “contract” over several years with the players
Nick Nurse had certainly not succeeded in qualifying Canada for the Tokyo Olympics, but he put in place a fundamental thing: ask players to commit to several years and thus install a hard core.
“We had to play the most talented players in the country, but also have them play together regularly. They needed a system to rely on before each qualifying window. That’s what a lot of teams do. They keep the players together, they train a lot and experience competitions, warm-up matches together. Cohesion and experience often dominate talent in FIBA. We had to fill some gaps and there was no other way if we wanted to evolve at the highest level. »
Then, it is precisely the talent of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, we saw it against Spain, which allows Canada to be a real candidate for the gold medal.
“When we had the meeting to decide who was ready to commit to several years, he told me he was for it”, remembers the new coach of the Sixers. “It was a huge boost to have him, along with Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dillon Brooks. »
