Masai Ujiri is not the architect of the Toronto Raptors—however his legacy, spirit, and voice stay louder than ever.
In a six-minute video launched by Giants of Africa, Ujiri addressed his departure for the primary time not with bitterness or blame, however with gratitude, pleasure, and deep affection. No press convention, no media blitz, only a man talking on to town that embraced him, and the nation he now calls dwelling.
“Toronto, Canada, I really like you,” he started, a easy reality from somebody who gave the Raptors every little thing over 12 unforgettable years.
Ujiri’s time as president will probably be remembered not just for the 2019 championship banner, however for reshaping all the tradition of the franchise. He introduced perception, swagger, and goal to a workforce typically outlined by its limits. Beneath his watch, Toronto stopped asking if it belonged among the many NBA’s elite, and proved that it did.
The abrupt nature of his exit, simply hours after the 2024 NBA Draft, with little clarification from Maple Leaf Sports activities & Leisure, felt colder than it ought to have. For days, Ujiri mentioned nearly nothing publicly. However this video, quietly highly effective and wealthy with private reflection, was his actual ship off.
He talked about greater than basketball. He talked about dwelling.
His kids had been born in Toronto. His spouse, Ramatu, constructed roots right here. The Raptors weren’t only a job, they had been household. And like several good household story, his included triumph, heartbreak, and resilience. “By way of the storms, we held on,” he mentioned, referencing years of world unrest, social actions, and pandemic uncertainty.
Ujiri additionally reaffirmed his lifelong mission via Giants of Africa, the youth basis he co-founded lengthy earlier than NBA titles had been in attain. “My aim has at all times been to win,” he mentioned, “but in addition to make change that transforms the panorama so younger leaders can rise.” That imaginative and prescient, he made clear, is much from over.
He gave a heartfelt nod to the ladies who powered the Raptors group behind the scenes, and supplied his full help to town’s new WNBA franchise, the Toronto Tempo. “I’ll be proper right here,” he promised.
Whereas followers should be questioning what’s subsequent for Ujiri, whether or not one other entrance workplace awaits, or if he shifts absolutely to world advocacy, one factor is definite: his departure isn’t an ending, however a transition. And like every little thing else he touched in Toronto, it was finished with goal, grace, and coronary heart.
The Raptors are getting into uncharted territory with out Ujiri on the helm. However the basis he constructed stays robust. As he mentioned in his closing message, “You’ll win once more in Toronto.”
We consider him.
