Nick Nurse Is Iowa’s New Star

We've all enjoyed watching the miracle run of a hockey team from St. Louis pick up its first Stanley Cup, but there was also a Cinderella story brewing around a basketball squad from a little further north. We in Iowa had a special connection to it.

The rise of the team itself might have alone been enough to attract our attention, as the Toronto Raptors captured their first NBA title since they came into existence in 1995. But their coach being from here added to the excitement, even for us who aren't big pro basketball fans.

Nick Nurse has risen from the tiny confines of Kuemper High School in Carroll, Iowa to the University of Northern Iowa, to cutting his teeth as a coach in England and the NBA Development League, to being the head coach of professional basketball's world champion. In his first year.

We congratulate Nick Nurse and his Toronto Raptors in ousting the well-oiled machine and defending champion Golden State Warriors, 114-110 to take Game 6 and win their Finals series on Thursday night.

We have lots to celebrate as Midwest sports fans.