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Canadian men’s basketball team names assistant coaches for World Cup

Jul 22, 2019 | 10:00 AM

TORONTO — The Canadian senior men’s basketball team has named Nate Bjorkgren, Brad Greenberg, Nathaniel Mitchell and Jon Goodwillie as assistant coaches for the FIBA World Cup later this summer in China.

The four assistants will work under head coach Nick Nurse, also the head coach of the Toronto Raptors, and associate head coach Gordie Herbert.

Bjorkgren also was an assistant under Nurse with the Raptors when Toronto won its first NBA title last season. Before joining the Raptors, Bjorkgren was an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns from 2015-17 and a head coach with four NBA G League teams.

Greenberg is the head coach of Maccabi Ashdod in the Israeli Premier League, a position he has held since 2017. He also has been head coach of Kosovo’s national team and was an assistant coach for 12 years in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks.

Mitchell is an assistant with the Charlotte Hornets. Before that, he spent three seasons as an assistant coach for Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League affiliate.

Goodwillie has spent the past 13 years as a video co-ordinator and assistant video co-ordinator for the Raptors.

Canada will begin training camp Aug. 5 in Toronto. The team opens the World Cup against Australia on Sept. 1.

“We all love and respect the international game, and we all bring different experiences and perspectives to this effort,” Nurse said in a statement. “This is an important tournament for Canada, and I believe that our coaching staff is prepared for the challenge.”

The Canadian Press