The full story is finally emerging, and it's the kind of tale that reminds you sports are played by human beings, not robots.
Nick Nurse's brother Steve Nurse died last Wednesday. He was 62 years old. The next night - less than 24 hours later - Nick stood on the sideline and coached the Philadelphia 76ers to a historic comeback win over the Boston Celtics in Game 6.
Let that sink in.
Your brother dies. The man you grew up with, the family member you've known your entire life, is gone. And the next night, you show up to work for the biggest game of your season. You don't hide in your office. You don't take a leave. You stand in front of your team and lead them when they need you most.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Nurse was away from the team Tuesday to attend his brother's funeral services. But on that Thursday night in Game 6, he was there. Coaching. Leading. Willing his team to victory.
The Sixers rallied from a massive deficit to eliminate the Celtics. It was the kind of performance that gets remembered for years. And now we know what their coach was dealing with behind the scenes.
Nurse had every reason to step away. His players would have understood. The league would have understood. Everyone would have understood.
But he showed up anyway.
That's not about basketball. That's about character. That's about honoring your team when they need you, even when you're carrying unimaginable pain.
You hear the word "leadership" thrown around constantly in sports. But this is what real leadership looks like. Not the speeches. Not the plays you draw up. It's showing up for your people when everything in your life is falling apart.
Nick Nurse did that. And his team responded with one of the gutsiest wins in recent playoff history.
