Dwane Casey has been named coach of the year for the team that fired him

Former Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey earned the honors of the NBA 's coach of the year Monday night, a few weeks after the Raptors replaced him. by his assistant, Nick Nurse. He has since accepted a position with the Detroit Pistons, and when he took the stage to accept his award in front of a cheering group of players, league officials and members of the media, Casey thanked the Raptors before noting his excitement. to for an owner who trusts you. "

"When you get fired, what I've done recently, I do not know if you knew it or not, after winning the Coach of the Year title, you always suspect yourself a little ", he said. "You think," OK "Can I do this? Do I want to do that again?" Then I interviewed Tom Gores, the owner of the Detroit Pistons, he and I are connected, and he gives me the opportunity of which I am very grateful, for someone to believe in you.And this is all you want as a player, and also as a coach, owner who believes in you and trusts you with his candor, and I appreciate that. "

The new Casey team is rather happy

The Raptors? Maybe not so much.

Casey beat Celtics head coach Brad Stevens and Jazz head coach Quin Snyder, and even though Toronto has chosen to change direction, his accomplishment with the Raptors is undeniable. Casey led the Raptors to a season of 59 most successful victories in the franchise, changing their heavyweight offensive game plan to a rhythm-and-space system that took the league by storm.

His achievements were decimated by the window – and out of Canada – after LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers swept the Raptors in the second round of the playoffs. It was a decisive moment for Casey, especially after the Cavs needed seven games to beat the Pacers and Celtics before being wiped out by the Warriors at the NBA Finals.

But Casey is the NBA's coach of the year, the first to claim the award after being fired since his mentor, George Karl. He has a chance of redemption now in Detroit. And with an owner who believes in him, he has to turn the pistons.