RAPTURE

The true story of a basketball coach taking the long, often difficult road to the NBA.

Today, Nurse is the well-known and -respected head coach of the Toronto Raptors, who won the NBA title last year, as well as the Canadian men’s national team. However, he was hardly an overnight sensation, serving years as an assistant coach for teams in London as well as teams in the NBA’s minor league, the D-League. Along the way, he also earned a master’s degree in educational psychology, played jazz in nightclubs, and soaked up knowledge of the game from legendary figures such as Phil Jackson, who contributes the foreword. Co-authored with New York Times Magazine contributing writer Sokolove, this is a pleasing story even for readers who aren’t die-hard basketball fans. Nurse dutifully records some of his autobiography: growing up in an enormous household in remote Carroll, Iowa, with eight siblings, a teacher mother, and a somewhat stern father who served in World War II and made his living as a mail carrier and house painter. The book is full of Midwestern common sense, but interwoven among Nurse’s choices and elevation to the top of his profession are lessons that can apply to many other trades. However, Nurse’s leadership abilities aren’t just second nature, but the result of years of thoughtful and compassionate interactions with his players, owners, and fans. In addition to his focusing on the crucial art of shooting, he lets his players have their own voices while stressing the importance of “intensity of effort…and utter and complete devotion to getting better at your chosen field.” His philosophy also encompasses “FEAR,” which stands for “face everything and rise,” and his summary of his approach to his life and career is blunt and easily digestible: “You get out of it what you put in.”

A clearly delineated sports memoir featuring a series of sturdy lessons.