TEG Live, promoter of Canada Basketball’s five games in Australia this August, welcomes the news that 2019 NBA Championship winning coach, Nick Nurse, has been appointed Canada’s Senior Men’s National Team head coach ahead of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
In preparation for the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China (August 31 – September 15), Canada will play the star-studded Australian Boomers at Perth’s RAC Arena on 16 & 17 August, New Zealand Tall Blacks at the Quaycentre in Sydney on 20 & 21 August and USA Basketball, who could feature up to seven current NBA All-Stars, at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on August 26.
Nurse, 51, is currently the head coach of the Toronto Raptors, a position he has held since 2018, after serving as an assistant coach with the team the previous five seasons (2013-2018). This season, Nurse led the Raptors to their first NBA championship in franchise history.
Australia, Canada, New Zealand and USA Basketball will all feature their final 12-man 2019 FIBA World Cup rosters during these August encounters in Perth and Sydney. While Canada is yet to announce their extended 2019 FIBA World Cup squad, with 18 Canadians featuring in this year’s NBA, and 2019 NBA Draft Pick #3 R.J. Barrett eligible for selection, it is expected Canada will field a very strong team for these games.
Not since the 2000 Sydney Olympics has Australia seen such high-quality men’s international basketball in our region, with TEG Live playing a central role in delivering these five games, in addition to the huge USA Basketball games against Australian Boomers at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on 22 & 24 August.
TEG CEO Geoff Jones said: “The appointment of Nick Nurse as Canada’s Senior Men’s Head Coach is a real coup for their national team program and adds further weight to the importance of Canada’s five pre-FIBA World Cup games taking place in Perth and Sydney this August.
“Australians love watching basketball, particularly the NBA, and TEG Live is delighted to be able to bring these seven internationals of significance importance, featuring some of the NBA’s finest players and coaches to our shores this August,” concluded Jones.
CANADA BASKETBALL V AUSTRALIAN BOOMERS
Friday 16 August 2019 – RAC Arena, Perth at 5.30pm (local)
Saturday 17 August 2019 – RAC Arena, Perth at 5.30pm (local)
Book now at Ticketek
CANADA BASKETBALL V NEW ZEALAND TALL BLACKS
Tuesday 20 August 2019 – Quaycentre, Sydney at 7.30pm (local)
Wednesday 21 August 2019 – Quaycentre, Sydney at 7.30pm (local)
Book now at Ticketek
CANADA BASKETBALL V USA BASKETBALL
Monday 26 August 2019 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney at 7.30pm (local)
Book now at Ticketek
Marco Selorio is a serial entrepreneur, basketball writer, Master of Ceremonies, event director and promoter. Follow him on Facebook @marcoandreselorio and on Instagram @marcoselorio
