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Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse temporarily stepped away from his team on Tuesday to attend his brother Steve’s funeral, as reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer. The solemn occasion took place amid the Sixers’ ongoing second-round playoff series against the New York Knicks.
Steve Nurse passed away unexpectedly at the age of 62 last Wednesday, April 29, just a day before the Sixers clinched their first-round series victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 6.
While the cause of Steve’s death has not been disclosed, the Philadelphia Inquirer noted the suddenness of his passing.
Following a tough 137-98 loss to the Knicks in Game 1 on Monday night, Nick Nurse departed New York City to attend the funeral services held in Ankeny, Iowa.
Despite his brief absence, Coach Nurse is anticipated to return to the sidelines for Game 2, which is set to take place Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Sixers had a film session at their hotel Tuesday afternoon, but did not practice.
A Carroll, Iowa native, Nick played basketball at the University of Northern Iowa from 1985-89.
Steve spent 26 years as an equipment manager for the program.
His obituary states that he and his family “were avid NBA fans, most recently of the Philadelphia 76ers. They attended many games in person across the country and rarely missed broadcasts,” per the Inquirer.
“I’d like to pass my condolences along to Nick Nurse and his family, his brother’s family and all their friends,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said at the team’s training center in Greenburgh, N.Y.
“Life is precious and you don’t wish that upon anybody, so I’d like to pass along my condolences to him and his family while they’re going through these times.”
The 76ers look to avoid falling into a 2-0 series hole Wednesday before the second-round series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.