Nick Nurse of the Toronto Raptors to coach Team Giannis at 2020 NBA All-Star Game

Scott Rafferty

Nick Nurse of the Toronto Raptors to coach Team Giannis at 2020 NBA All-Star Game image

It's official: Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse and his staff will coach Team Giannis at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game.

The Milwaukee Bucks will enter All-Star Weekend with the best record in the Eastern Conference, but head coach Mike Budenholzer is ineligible after serving as the head coach of Team Giannis in last year's All-Star Game.

With Saturday's win over the Detroit Pistons, the Raptors secured the second-best record in the Eastern Conference through Feb. 3. They are now two games ahead of the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat in the standings.

“It’s cool, man,” Raptors guard Fred VanVleet said after the game. “I think we’ve got a special bond with (the staff) — obviously we won a championship together — and it’s a really cool experience.”

This is Nurse's second season as head coach of the Raptors. He joins Dwane Casey as the only head coaches in franchise history to represent the Raptors at the All-Star Game.

In the Western Conference, Frank Vogel of the Los Angeles Lakers will be the head coach of Team LeBron.

The 2020 NBA All-Star Game will take place on Feb. 17, 2020 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

The Rising Stars Challenge will be held on Feb. 15, followed by the Three-Point Contest, Skills Challenge and Slam Dunk Contest on Feb. 16.

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Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.