On Wednesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers kicked off their regular season with a match against the Boston Celtics. While the match may have just been the start

V.J. Edgecombe, the Philadelphia 76ers ' third overall pick in this year's draft, showed how ready he was to play at this level, as he tallied 34 points to break the franchise record for most points scored in an NBA debut, surpassing Allen Iverson's 30.

That person is of course Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse, who helmed the Toronto Raptors while Boucher made a name for himself with that ball club. Asked about what it was like to coach the Castries, Saint Lucia native, Nurse had plenty to say. "It was great," he recalled. "We had an interesting beginning."

Coach Nick Nurse discusses the feeling of the Philadelphia 76ers finally getting healthy after a tough season.

The Sixers will be without a few critical players on opening night. Even with Joel Embiid trending toward playing, head coach Nick Nurse has some challenges to overcome.

Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes, VJ Edgecombe, and Jared McCain will make the 76ers want to run. Joel Embiid and Paul George may have to keep up.

The Sixers coach needed no introduction. Nurse was the coach of the Toronto Raptors in 2018 when Boucher worked his way from a Summer League to a roster spot and a role on the Raptors where he won a ring with Toronto’s 2019 NBA Champions. Boucher played seven years in the Great White North before signing with Boston this summer.

Coach Nick Nurse evaluates the shooting progress made by rookie VJ Edgecombe as the Philadelphia 76ers move forward.

The conditions haven’t always been ideal for Nurse since he took over as the Sixers' coach in 2023, but he has dealt with roster uncertainty before and found success.

VJ Edgecombe joined some elite company on Wednesday night, putting up the most points in a debut in NBA history in more than 65 years.

Joel Embiid and Paul George fully participated in 76ers practice under Nick Nurse, a good sign for the upcoming NBA season.