Masai Ujiri’s exit on Friday as vice-chairman and president of the Toronto Raptors marked the end of a more than decade-long run that delivered the franchise’s first NBA title.
Under Ujiri, the Raptors made the playoffs seven straight seasons from 2013-14 to 2019-20, and fans are expressing heartbreak and shock at the news of his departure.
“What he did for the Raptors organization was great. So, no real complaints about his time here, but I’m a little bit shocked,” one fan told CTV News Toronto outside Scotiabank Arena on Friday.
Another said Ujiri made him proud to be a Raptors fan and echoed that what he did for the organization was “great.”
“He produced one of the best moments in the city of Toronto, so I wish him all the best. It was great what he did, and that was just the peak of the mountain.”
‘I am shocked, just like everybody else’
Speaking to CP24, Raptors ‘Superfan’ Nav Bhatia said losing Ujiri was like losing a family member.
“I am shocked, just like everybody else,” Bhatia said. “I found out when I woke up this morning, and I am taken back a little bit because I was very close to him. He was not just a general manager and president for the team, he was also a very good friend of mine, with his family and everybody else.”
Bhatia said Ujiri changed the culture of basketball in both Toronto and Canada and helped the team become respected, saying he had players come up to him during the latest NBA Finals and ask him to “talk to Masai” about getting them on the Raptors.
“He’s done a lot for the city and the country. I think everybody is going to miss him, but he’s leaving us in good shape.”
“He was a very great friend of mine,” Bhatia added. “His wife and his kids and his mother-in-law, they were like a family to me, and you’re always sad when your family moves away.”
‘Represented a lot to not just Raptors fans’
Former Toronto mayor John Tory also reacted to the news Friday, telling CP24 Ujiri’s departure was part of the “ebb and flow” of professional sports and business.
“This is part of the ebb and flow, of course, and it extends from the players that are going on the court all the way to the president’s office, that things change, and people change, and there’s changes that sometimes are made that are necessary,” Tory said in an interview.
Tory said he understands that Raptors fans are feeling sad today but encourages them to look forward to “a bright future” and says he knows Ujiri will have one too.
“It’s not just that he brought a championship here and a number of years in the playoffs, but he was a person as well who tried to bring the community together,” the former mayor added.
“He represented a lot to the people who not just were Raptors fans, but who were citizens of the city of Toronto, who felt comforted by his leadership, who felt included by him and with him and what he did. In that sense, he was an important figure here, and you know he’ll be missed in the city.”
‘Lost a valuable resource’
TSN’s Matt Cauz told CP24 it’s likely MLSE wanted to cut costs by letting Ujiri go a year before his contract was set to expire, but said it’s a loss for the organization.
“I don’t expect them to replace (him) with someone as talented,” Cauz said. “Remember, he was Executive of the Year... and his vision, and the work he does with Giants of Africa. We’re seeing more players from that continent coming to the NBA, getting drafted to the NBA, and with Masai Ujiri, you had someone that was in touch with that... and now you’ve lost that valuable resource.”
Cauz also pointed to other connections Ujiri made while in his time as president that added to the organization’s reach as the lone Canadian team.
“Basketball—more than any other sport—is more of a star driven, celebrity league, and Toronto can be hard for players to come... it’s this wintery outpost," Cauz said.
“Remember in 2019, when they won the title? Who was in the crowd at the ACC (Scotiabank Arena)? It was Barack Obama. Those are the relationships Ujiri had. It brought a little panache and celebrity, and now that’s gone.”
