WEBVTT - Nick Nurse Part 2: On His Coaching Staff and Expecting To Win

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<v Speaker 1>This podcast is part of the seventy six ers podcast network,

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<v Speaker 1>presented by Stern and Cohen Law Search seventy six ers Insiders,

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<v Speaker 1>wherever you get your podcasts. Nick Nurse, Welcome back. Great

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<v Speaker 1>to see you. I wanted to ask you something about

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<v Speaker 1>your book. You said that being a head coach is

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<v Speaker 1>like being the leader of a jam band. Yeah, And

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<v Speaker 1>because in a jam band situation or in an NBA situation,

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<v Speaker 1>you're getting new players every day, people are moving in

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<v Speaker 1>and out of the lineup, deal with injuries, replacements, etc.

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<v Speaker 1>You're dealing with the whole new band. And you said

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<v Speaker 1>that your priority is the leader of the band, is

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<v Speaker 1>to make sure everyone knows the songs and everybody is comfortable.

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<v Speaker 1>How do you teach the songs and how do you

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<v Speaker 1>forge that comfort that foster that comfort?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 3>First of all, I'm never the leader of a jam band.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm always a member of the jam band when we jam. Sure, Okay,

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<v Speaker 3>But anyway, listen, I think that my job is obviously

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<v Speaker 3>to get the vision for the season right and then

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<v Speaker 3>trying to to know these guys as intimately as possible,

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<v Speaker 3>and then it's to try to get them to perform

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<v Speaker 3>at their best or maybe even better than they think

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<v Speaker 3>they can, right, Like, the vision's got to be big

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<v Speaker 3>and there's got to be a plan to put that

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<v Speaker 3>all together.

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<v Speaker 2>I do equate it to.

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<v Speaker 3>The band, because let me now and then we're gonna

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<v Speaker 3>leave some room for something spectacular like a solo or

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<v Speaker 3>something like that. Right, So, I think the music sports

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<v Speaker 3>analogy is a good one.

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<v Speaker 1>Comfort among the group is something you pointed out as well.

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<v Speaker 1>How do you foster that when you don't have a

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<v Speaker 1>ton of time to get to know a new group

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<v Speaker 1>of players.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, well, I've tried to spend a lot of my

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<v Speaker 3>summer getting to know them, right, I think, as any

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<v Speaker 3>probably most coaches, as soon as they get the job,

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<v Speaker 3>I went around to see everybody face to face, right,

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<v Speaker 3>and then I obviously see some of them in Vegas,

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<v Speaker 3>and then we have voluntary workouts in LA and then

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<v Speaker 3>we have.

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<v Speaker 2>The fall workouts.

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<v Speaker 3>So just just trying to stay in touch with them

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<v Speaker 3>and try to get them on the floor, get in

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<v Speaker 3>the gym with them, watch them, film with them, whatever

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<v Speaker 3>it is, and use some of that time to get

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<v Speaker 3>to know them. And I think it's really important for

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<v Speaker 3>anybody taking over a new team.

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<v Speaker 1>Since we last spoke, you assembled a staff, yes, and

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<v Speaker 1>something specific I wanted to ask you about what's it

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<v Speaker 1>like to have people on your staff that are growing

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<v Speaker 1>as coaches who you once coached as players. For those

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<v Speaker 1>who don't know, you coached thirty years before becoming a

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<v Speaker 1>head coach and along some of those stops. Now are

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<v Speaker 1>people on your staff here at the Sixers.

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<v Speaker 3>What's that like, Well, it's great, I think it's I

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<v Speaker 3>think you know, you develop those relationships and most of

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<v Speaker 3>those guys were amazing players and you know, or teammates

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<v Speaker 3>or leaders or just a combination of all.

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<v Speaker 2>That stuff, and it's great to see.

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<v Speaker 3>Them have such good careers and then it's time to

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<v Speaker 3>move on to the next phase of their life and

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<v Speaker 3>that's in coaching. And again, most of those guys are

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<v Speaker 3>all tremendous leaders I got I would say like the

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<v Speaker 3>one commonality in my staff because there's a lot of winners.

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<v Speaker 3>There's a lot of winners on the staff, either as

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<v Speaker 3>players or coaches. A lot of G League or D

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<v Speaker 3>League championships in that coaching room as well. And again

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<v Speaker 3>that's probably biased on my part because it's kind of

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<v Speaker 3>the path I took trying to figure out how to

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<v Speaker 3>do this job.

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<v Speaker 2>To the best of our ability, and so have a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of our assistants.

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<v Speaker 1>Speaking of winning, you guys had the better of now

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<v Speaker 1>you guys in Toronto in twenty nineteen, and I went

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<v Speaker 1>back and I watched Kawhi's shot, and I watched you

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<v Speaker 1>the way you were crouched watching you exclaimed right away

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<v Speaker 1>when the shot went in, you like had a big

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<v Speaker 1>gesture and then immediately you drew it in and you

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<v Speaker 1>walked to the scorer's table. How important is that ability

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<v Speaker 1>to regulate your own emotion in your job.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, that's good. I haven't thought about that.

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<v Speaker 3>I just remember that I immediately was going to find

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<v Speaker 3>Brett Brown to tell him, you know, like that was

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<v Speaker 3>an unbelievable, like iconic series, right, And I just wanted

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<v Speaker 3>to give him the respect that he deserved there because

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<v Speaker 3>it was. It was an awesome series. One for the ages.

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<v Speaker 3>We're all still talking about it for sure, right. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>it's important. I mean I felt pretty good about that

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<v Speaker 3>whole situation, to be honest with Yeah, I thought, even

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<v Speaker 3>if it didn't go in, we'd go to overtime and

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<v Speaker 3>we were gonna be just fine.

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<v Speaker 2>So I was happy went in, as you saw.

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<v Speaker 3>But and then I kind of thought, let's get to

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<v Speaker 3>work for the next series as well.

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<v Speaker 1>A mantra that you brought to Toronto before that I

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<v Speaker 1>understand was expect to win. It's something that's now plastered

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<v Speaker 1>in the building here. I see you're wearing the bracelet.

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<v Speaker 1>But you started expect to win, if I'm not mistaken

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<v Speaker 1>in Birmingham, and that was an organization that needed like

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<v Speaker 1>a huge reva. Right, So when you think about I'm sorry,

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<v Speaker 1>I should have Birmingham, England. So when you think about

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<v Speaker 1>the journey that you've gone on with expect to win,

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<v Speaker 1>why is it so important for you to bring it here?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, it's it's just kind of theo. Right.

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<v Speaker 3>It did start in Birmingham. It was kind of my

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<v Speaker 3>first professional coaching job. I think I was twenty eight

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<v Speaker 3>years old, so almost thirty years ago. Just again, a

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<v Speaker 3>lot of the things that end up happening or are

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<v Speaker 3>created by necessity, and I just felt like that organization

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<v Speaker 3>at the time needed like a shift in this like

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<v Speaker 3>how we're seeing things and just kind of stayed with me.

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<v Speaker 2>And again, my background of coaching a lot in.

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<v Speaker 3>Like the what you call the backwaters of basketball, maybe

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<v Speaker 3>England and Belgium and Texas and Oklahoma and all these

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<v Speaker 3>places that iow, all these places I've been.

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<v Speaker 2>A lot of things.

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<v Speaker 3>Happen, right, the bus breaks down, Well, what are we

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<v Speaker 3>not gonna expect to win?

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<v Speaker 2>Now?

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<v Speaker 3>Guys get called up, Three guys get called up right

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<v Speaker 3>before the game. Well, you know it's kind of you

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<v Speaker 3>get thrown in so many situations. You didn't really have

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<v Speaker 3>much choice other than to get your mind right and

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<v Speaker 3>try to figure it out. Let's get a game plan,

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<v Speaker 3>let's play hard, and let's figure out there's got to

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<v Speaker 3>be a way to do it. And I think that's

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<v Speaker 3>the mindset that again, my background and training.

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<v Speaker 1>Is provided the same background that led you to have

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<v Speaker 1>overlap with some coaches. You've had overlap with some players

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<v Speaker 1>on this team. I just talked to pat Patrick Beverley

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<v Speaker 1>about your very brief overlap Ario grand Valley, someone you

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<v Speaker 1>had a more notorious overlap with with Danny Green in

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<v Speaker 1>Toronto the year that you guys won, And when I

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<v Speaker 1>sat down with him, he said that you are the

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<v Speaker 1>biggest reason why he wanted to be a seventy.

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<v Speaker 2>Six er this year.

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<v Speaker 1>What do those words mean to hear from a player

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<v Speaker 1>that's had a lot of success.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I could just throw the bounce pass right back

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<v Speaker 2>at him.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, he was a really integral part of that

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<v Speaker 3>culture and that expect to win.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, he just he just embodies it.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, jeez, look, he's won three titles and a

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<v Speaker 3>fourth if you want to count the NCAA title too,

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<v Speaker 3>and he brings that like mentality of and in a

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<v Speaker 3>positive way like that, I know how to win. I've

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<v Speaker 3>done it, and here's here's how we're going to do

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<v Speaker 3>it without being soverbearing. He's such a key ingredient and

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<v Speaker 3>key member to the team. Now, Danny was just a good,

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<v Speaker 3>solid player. He shot the three, fit really good with us,

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<v Speaker 3>He was great in the locker room. He understands defensive schemes,

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<v Speaker 3>all those things. So let's see how he's doing. The

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<v Speaker 3>health thing for him has been We've gotten a really

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<v Speaker 3>good report, like really positive. So let's hope that continues

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<v Speaker 3>and he can be an integral part of this team.

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<v Speaker 1>Something that stood out to me again, back from the book,

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<v Speaker 1>you talked about how you like aesthetically pleasing basketball. What

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<v Speaker 1>do you find about this seventy six ers team as

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<v Speaker 1>it's composed today most aesthetically pleasing.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm not quite sure on that. Yet what I do

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<v Speaker 3>know is that they're very hard. They were very hard

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<v Speaker 3>to compete against. Right, there's so many different things of

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<v Speaker 3>like almost like just start with Tyres and Joel, Like,

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<v Speaker 3>first of all, you got this big, huge, biggest guy

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<v Speaker 3>in the league.

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<v Speaker 2>You got to try to fend.

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<v Speaker 3>Then you've got literally the fastest or one of the fastest,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, I think really close. And that's like such

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<v Speaker 3>a wide range of things that you have to see.

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<v Speaker 2>But that's that's probably it.

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<v Speaker 3>I think there's there's so much variety on the team

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<v Speaker 3>everything in between there that it makes it super interesting

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<v Speaker 3>to watch.

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<v Speaker 1>Last question for you, let's think back to that young

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<v Speaker 1>coach in Birmingham, England, or even before that as a

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<v Speaker 1>player coach. Knowing now what your journey has looked like

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<v Speaker 1>in the thirty plus years as a coach that's that

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<v Speaker 1>have transpired, what advice would you give to young Nick

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<v Speaker 1>Nurse fresh out of college.

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<v Speaker 3>I'll give young Nick Nurse the same advice I give

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<v Speaker 3>a lot of young coaches that ask me for advice,

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<v Speaker 3>just to say, don't take my path.

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<v Speaker 2>My bad was all over the place. Not that's not true.

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<v Speaker 3>I just you know what I like at a very

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<v Speaker 3>young age, I wanted to coach, and I really had

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<v Speaker 3>to see if I was any good at it.

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<v Speaker 2>That's kind of partly where I took.

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<v Speaker 3>A college job at twenty three, in a pro job

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<v Speaker 3>at like twenty.

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<v Speaker 2>Seven, I just had to. Like I had all these ideas,

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<v Speaker 2>I just had to take.

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<v Speaker 3>Them, take them somewhere, and I took them some funny places,

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<v Speaker 3>but at least I was able to get them out

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<v Speaker 3>and try them.

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<v Speaker 2>And here we are today, well.

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<v Speaker 1>The city and your players are excited to see how

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<v Speaker 1>you apply those ideas here. So thank you so much.

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<v Speaker 3>We're looking forward to it.

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<v Speaker 2>Thanks for having me