Raptors coach Nick Nurse to lead Canada's men's team at FIBA World Cup

Fresh off coaching the Toronto Raptors to the NBA championship, Nick Nurse will now try to lead the Canadian men's team into the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Canada Basketball announced Monday that Nurse is the new head coach of the men's national team, less than two weeks after the 51-year-old and the Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

Nurse's sights are now set on taking the national team into the FIBA World Cup starting Aug. 31 in China. The tournament serves as the main qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Games.

"I'm looking forward to working with this talented group of young players and to seeing what we can do on the competitive global basketball stage," Nurse said in a statement about his latest role. "I love the international game. I also see this as a real chance for me to learn from the world's best, and for us to represent Canada with pride and distinction."

Canada Basketball says Nurse's contract runs through the 2020 Tokyo Games.

The organization had been searching for a senior men's head coach since long-term head coach Jay Triano withdrew his name in March for "personal reasons."

Expectations will be high for Canada's men's team, which boasts the best-ever collection of Canadian talent.

Simply selecting the team will be a tough task, but a nice problem. About a dozen NBA players are in the mix, including guards Jamal Murray (Denver), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (L.A. Clippers) and Cory Joseph (Indiana), and forwards Kelly Olynyk (Miami) and Tristan Thompson (Cleveland), along with former Duke star R.J. Barrett, recently selected third overall by the New York Knicks in the NBA draft.

Rowan Barrett, general manager of the Canadian men's team and R.J.'s dad, said Nurse's knowledge of the country's young stars was key.

"Nick fits our gold-medal profile as he is a proven leader with extensive experience coaching FIBA, NBA and other professional leagues around the world," the GM said in a statement. "His coaching pedigree shows his ability to win at some of the highest levels, and he has a tremendous understanding of the FIBA game and our Canadian NBA players."

Canada has been drawn into a tough Group H with No. 6-ranked Lithuania, No. 11 Australia and 37th-ranked Senegal at the World Cup, which tips off Aug. 31 to Sept. 15 in China. The Canadians must finish in the top two to advance. The tournament's top seven teams earn automatic Olympic berths. Canada's men's team hasn't made an Olympic appearance since 2000 in Sydney, where Triano coached a squad led by Steve Nash to a 5-2 record and seventh-place finish.

Canada last had a team in the World Cup in Turkey in 2010, when it ended up winless and in 22nd place.

Nurse was the lead assistant under head coach Chris Finch for host Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics in London.

He spent 11 seasons coaching in Europe, mostly in the British Basketball League. The Iowan was named head coach of the Iowa Energy of the G League in 2007. He landed his first NBA job with the Raptors, joining then coach Dwane Casey's staff as an assistant in 2013.

In addition, Gordie Herbert, who last coached Team Canada to a pair of victories during the second window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers, has been named associate head coach and will be a member of Nurse's staff at the upcoming World Cup. Herbert will also coach Canada at the FIBA AmeriCup 2021 Qualifiers that are set to begin in November.