Why 76ers' Nick Nurse took brief leave of absence during playoffs

Nick Nurse missed practice with the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday after the Game 1 playoff loss to the New York Knicks, and it was for a very specific and meaningful reason: He was attending the funeral of his older brother, Steve Nurse.

Steve, who was the athletic equipment manager at Northern Iowa, died "unexpectedly" at 62 years old, per his obituary, which also had this to say: "Steve was a man of many talents and hobbies. He was highly skilled in repairing and stringing baseball and softball gloves, a craft he took great pride in and generously shared with others. In recent years, Steve found joy in creating rosaries, a meaningful practice that became an expression of his faith and generosity."

Steve was the focus of a recent, poignant segment from ESPN's Scott Van Pelt:

When did Steve Nurse die?

It happened last week, the day before Nick Nurse's Sixers won Game 6 of their opening-round series against the Boston Celtics.

What did Knicks coach Mike Brown say about Nick Nurse?

"I'd like to pass my condolences along to Nick Nurse, his family, his brother's family and all their friends. Life is precious and you don't wish that upon anybody, so I'd like to pass along my condolences to him and his family while they're going through these times."

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Nick Nurse brother: Why 76ers coach took leave of absence for