Nick Nurse Special Edition Bobblehead Series Unveiled
MILWAUKEE – This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled four limited edition bobbleheads featuring Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse. Each special edition bobblehead is unique in capturing a memorable moment for the popular coach, who led the Raptors to their first NBA championship in 2019 and will be celebrating the one-year anniversary of their historic title on June 13. The bobbleheads are being produced exclusively by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in conjunction with Coach Nurse.
The first bobblehead has a celebrating Nurse waving a Canadian flag while holding a microphone in his other hand. He is wearing sunglasses and a black baseball cap and hoodie that says “Champions” across the front. The second features Nurse wearing a suit and giving a fist pump. The third has Nurse holding a basketball while posing in a suit while wearing a baseball cap that says “2019 Champions.” The fourth features a smiling Nurse standing in the back of a pickup truck and waving during the victory parade. He is wearing a black Nick Nurse baseball cap and a hoodie that says “Champions” across the front.
Each bobblehead is individually numbered to 2,019, and they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in August, are $30 each plus shipping, with the set of four available for a discounted price of $100.
Part of the Toronto coaching staff since 2013 when he was an assistant under Dwane Casey, Nurse was promoted to head coach on June 14, 2018. His first season at the helm was one to remember. After knocking off the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Raptors beat the defending champion Golden State Warriors in six games in the NBA Finals for the first championship in franchise history. In the process, Nurse became the first head coach to win both NBA and NBA G League (formerly D-League) titles.
The Raptors did not have a championship hangover in the 2019-20 season. Despite losing superstar Kawhi Leonard to free agency, Nurse guided Toronto to a 46-18 record when play was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the surprising Raptors in control of the second seed in the Eastern Conference, Nurse became a top candidate for NBA Coach of the Year honors.
A native of Carroll, Iowa, Nurse played collegiately at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. The 6-foot-1 guard played in 111 games for the Panthers and still ranks as the school’s all-time leader in 3-point percentage (.468). Nurse got his first full-time head coaching job at Grand View University in Des Moines when he was 23 years old. At the time, he was the youngest college basketball coach in the country. After two seasons, he took on an assistant coaching role at the University of South Dakota for two seasons.
Nurse later spent 11 seasons coaching in Europe, primarily in the British Basketball League with the Birmingham Bullets, Manchester Giants, London Towers and Brighton Bears. During that time, he was also an assistant coach for the Oklahoma Storm of the now-defunct United States Basketball League in 2001 and 2005. Prior to joining the Raptors, Nurse enjoyed a successful run in the NBA D-League. He was the head coach for the Iowa Energy from 2007-11 and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers from 2011-13. Nurse led the Energy to division titles in 2009 and 2010 and the D-League championship in 2011 as he received the Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year Award. He also led the Vipers to the D-League title in 2013. In his six seasons coaching in the D-League, Nurse had 23 players called up to the NBA.
When asked about the bobblehead series, Coach Nurse said, “I know Raptors fans are among the most passionate when it comes to the team and their bobblehead collections, and I’m excited to be teaming up with the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum to bring fans this bobblehead series to commemorate last year’s historic championship.”
“Nick Nurse’s head coaching debut with the Raptors will never be topped,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Beloved by Canada for bringing the country its first NBA championship, we are excited to release these four bobbleheads of the popular head coach.”
About the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum:
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st. St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country. Visit us online and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.