Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse just had his ego gently dunked on, and it wasn’t by Joel Embiid. Instead, it was by an unexpected baller in the coaching game—new Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Marsh.
At a recent press conference, Nurse turned into Marsh’s unofficial hype man, giving a glowing review of the man with more rings than your neighborhood jeweler. Nurse shared stories from their time coaching the G League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers, where Marsh apparently ran on basketball and zero sleep.
“He was a 24-hour-a-day player development guy,” Nurse reminisced, possibly wondering when Marsh even had time to breathe. “He’s always been an incredible student of the game, and he comes from a great basketball family. … You guys know Tyler got more rings than me.”
That’s right. Marsh is packing not one, not two, but three championship rings—one with the Toronto Raptors during Nurse’s NBA Championship run in 2019 and two with the Las Vegas Aces in 2022 and 2023. Forget LeBron vs. Jordan debates; it’s Marsh vs. Nurse for “Who Wears It Best: Championship Edition.”
Tyler Marsh Brings Hope to the Chicago Sky
The Chicago Sky has handed Marsh the reins, and frankly, they might want to polish those seats at Wintrust Arena because this could get interesting. Marsh takes over from Teresa Weatherspoon after the Sky’s forgettable 13-27 season—a record so dismal it probably belongs in a basketball blooper reel.
Despite the bleak history, Marsh is walking in with the confidence of a man who knows his jewelry drawer is fuller than yours. “A big part of my philosophy is trust. Once you get players to buy into you and once you buy into them, the basketball stuff comes easy,” he said, sounding like the basketball whisperer every team dreams of.
Marsh now finds himself coaching the likes of Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, two fierce competitors who are probably more allergic to losing than Marsh is to free time.
“With Angel and Kamilla, it’s the will to compete and win. They want to do things the right way,” Marsh explained. “Hopefully, my leadership can extend that and highlight their strengths.”
Translation: Marsh is ready to turn Reese and Cardoso into basketball machines while probably planning a championship ring shopping spree for the future.
Nick Nurse’s Praise Sparks Questions
Nurse’s public praise wasn’t just generous; it was almost an unofficial passing of the torch—or in this case, a passing of the championship bling. And let’s face it, Nurse’s quip about Marsh having more rings than him is a subtle acknowledgment that Marsh is no ordinary coach.
With his first head coaching gig and a reputation built on success, Marsh has Chicago fans cautiously optimistic. The question is, can he turn the Sky’s narrative around, or will this be another season spent chasing stars instead of becoming one?
One thing’s for sure: Tyler Marsh isn’t here to just take part—he’s here to take over. Fans better buckle up, because if his track record is anything to go by, the Chicago Sky might just be gearing up for a golden season.