NEW 76ERS COACH HAS ROUGH FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH PHILADELPHIA MEDIA
Nick Nurse had his first news conference as the 76ers new head coach. The Philadelphia media was ready for him.
Halfway through an answer about coaching a playoff team, Nurse was cut off by Philadelphia media personality Howard Eskin, who asked him, “Do you want James Harden back?”
Nurse tried to answer diplomatically, saying, “James Harden’s a great player,” before Eskin cut him off, saying he didn't answer the question.
After a pause, Nurse responded, “James has a decision to make. And I’d be very happy if he came back.”
Perhaps Nurse didn’t quite understand the intensity of Philadelphia sports fans and sports media after a decade of coaching in Toronto. He may not have realized he was trading the politeness of Canada for a city with a notoriously passionate and oftentimes boorish fan base.
He also received multiple questions about Philly’s history of second-round playoff exits — five in the last six years.
“Vibrating on the frequency of the past” is probably not a concept that appeals to the cheesesteak-eating, greased-pole-climbing fans of Philly. It’s simply a more brutal city.
In Toronto, Drake massaged Nurse’s shoulders on the sidelines. In Philadelphia, he’s more likely to get batteries thrown at him by Gritty.
Perhaps a more mystical, new age attitude is what the 76ers need after three years of vibrating on the frequency of Doc Rivers, and Nurse was very respectful to MVP Joel Embiid’s talents, despite some things they’ve said about each other over the years.
If the Sixers finally get out of the second round, Nurse will experience all the love the City of Brotherly Love has to offer. If he loses? Nurse can expect to be accosted by a fan in a Jerome Brown Eagles jersey telling him to, “Vibrate on this frequency!”
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