Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse gave his take on the recent injury sustained by Kelly Olynyk while playing for the Canadian national team in an exhibition game as part of their preparation for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

Olynyk sustained a knee injury against Nigeria. Following the incidents, most fans reacted that what happened to Olynyk was exactly the reason why several NBA superstars withdrew from consideration for the USA Basketball team this summer.

Reacting to the notion, Nurse told Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports that he does not know what to say, but he is quite sure that an injury can happen anywhere, regardless of the tournament that a player is competing in. He pointed out that playing for the national team is a commitment, citing the decision of Raptors superstar Kyle Lowry.

“I think the guys that play, whether for us, for USA, or for Senegal or whatever, they build some type of legacy about their careers,” Nurse said. “I use Kyle Lowry as the best example of that – this guy is a five-time All-Star, a world champion, a couple of gold medals under his belt, he's just coming off a surgery, and he wants to play. It's either in your heart or it's not.”

Lowry underwent thumb surgery in mid-July but is still training with the senior team in the past several days. He is expected to make the final roster when he gets full medical clearance to play later this month in China.