Toronto, ON — The Toronto Raptors fire head coach Dwane Casey after exiting the 2018 NBA Playoffs in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.
The decision came as the Raptors’ marked their third consecutive year falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers led by Lebron James, and their second straight playoff in a Cavs full sweep. Casey led the team for seven years that resulted in a 320-328 record, one NBA finals appearance and to the No. 1 Eastern Conference seed in the 2018 season.
“After careful consideration, I have decided this is a very difficult but necessary step the franchise must take. As a team, we are constantly trying to grow and improve in order to get to the next level,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said in a release. “We celebrate everything Dwane has done for the organization, we thank him, and we wish him nothing but the best in future. He was instrumental in creating the identity and culture of who we are as a team, and we are so proud of that.”
Casey was also voted on May 9, 2018, the Michael H. Goldberg coach of the year award, which is an award handed out by the National Basketball Coaches Association and voted on by his NBA coaching peers.
