UNI Graduate, Iowa Native Nick Nurse Getting Bobbleheads
Nearly one year to the day after Nick Nurse coached the Toronto Rapters to their inaugural NBA championship, the Iowa native and UNI graduate is getting his own bobblehead series.
The Milwaukee-based National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum Friday unveiled four limited edition bobbleheads featuring Nurse, who grew up in Carroll. According to a press release, each special edition bobblehead is unique in capturing a memorable moment for the coach.
“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.”
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 are expected to ship in August. They are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s online store at a cost of $30 each, plus shipping. The set of four can be purchased for a discounted price of $100.
Saturday is the one-year anniversary of the Raptors' historic title and Sunday marks the two-year anniversary of Nurse's promotion to head coach. An assistant under Dwayne Casey since 2013, Toronto named Nurse to replace Casey on June 14, 2018
Nurse guided the Raptors to their inaugural championship in his first year at the helm. Toronto beat the defending champion Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, clinching the series in six games on June 13, 2019. In the process, Nurse became the first head coach to win both NBA and NBA G League (formerly D-League) titles.
Nurse played college basketball at the University of Northern Iowa, appearing in 111 games for the Panthers from 1985 to 1989. He still ranks as the school's all-time leader in 3-point percentage (.468)