The erstwhile president of the Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri, has become part of the ownership collective of the Toronto Tempo, the metropolis’s nascent WNBA franchise that is set to commence its games this season.
“Women’s athletics, in my estimation, are burgeoning remarkably. Its expansion is evident across the WNBA, football, and ice hockey, and introducing such a distinctive brand for the initial time to a metropolis I’m familiar with – a vibrant, fervent city in which I place my faith – I anticipate this will genuinely strike a chord,” Ujiri conveyed to ESPN. “For my kin and me, this proprietorship signifies an unparalleled prospect.”
Ujiri is aligning with the ownership collective spearheaded by Larry Tanenbaum, with whom he secured Toronto’s sole NBA championship in 2019. During the twelve months following his departure from the Raptors, Ujiri, a native of Nigeria, has concentrated his endeavors on his work with Giants of Africa, the United Nations, and the Zaria Group, which is erecting athletic and amusement facilities across the African continent.
“It has been exceptionally hectic,” Ujiri remarked concerning his hiatus from the NBA, a period predominantly dedicated to his relatives in Florida. “I managed to dedicate attention to my kin. My routine shifted from relying on a chauffeur for a dozen years due to constant phone engagement, to presently chauffeuring my children myself.
“They participate in athletics, requiring transportation to various practices and activities. Additionally, I’ve been involved in developing amenities and foundational structures across the continent.
“We recently finished the athletic metropolis [in Rwanda] and currently, I’m collaborating with the U.N. in the Sahel [region of north-central Africa]. Moreover, openings are slated for Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Mauritania within a matter of weeks. We committed to constructing these athletic centers, and they are truly magnificent.”
Nonetheless, Ujiri has maintained proximity to the NBA domain – frequently conversing with ex-Raptors players, trainers, senior management, and numerous proprietors, harboring an aspiration to rejoin the league in a certain role, should a suitable occasion arise.
“I’ve been deepening my understanding of our sport, the NBA, examining prevailing tendencies, and identifying potential oversights by analyzing other leagues,” he stated. “A significant portion of my time is devoted to this pursuit, as a primary objective of mine is to secure another championship title. I aspire to triumph with the Tempo and to claim another NBA championship, given that the unfortunate police occurrence prevented me from celebrating and experiencing joy previously.”
Ujiri alluded to an occurrence where a sheriff’s deputy from the San Francisco vicinity impeded him from accessing the court to commemorate the Raptors’ victory against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena, citing his failure to furnish appropriate accreditation. This interaction escalated into a physical altercation, segments of which were recorded on video. The deputy initiated legal action against Ujiri, asserting an assault charge. Ujiri filed a countersuit, contending that the video evidence unequivocally demonstrated the deputy as “the primary instigator” and that such disparaging treatment would not have transpired had he not been Black.
Ultimately, both sides withdrew their legal complaints, yet Ujiri expressed that the ordeal imbued a bitter sentiment, tarnishing the Raptors’ championship for him and propels him toward securing another championship, with a different squad eventually.
“A profound yearning resides within me due to those events,” he remarked. “My desire is to achieve victory once more, allowing me to genuinely savor the moment.”
At the Tempo, his professional engagement will be under Tanenbaum’s direction and alongside two senior managers with whom he has been acquainted for many years, namely, team president Teresa Resch and general manager Monica Wright Rogers.
“Masai has served as my guide since 2008, a period when I participated in one of his African camps,” Resch shared with ESPN. “We frequently discuss matters pertaining to career and individual growth. His involvement as a proprietor has elevated our dynamic to a new echelon. He possesses numerous grand concepts and concurrently comprehends the essence of assembling a cohesive squad.”
Ujiri is additionally initiating Tempo Rising, a worldwide coaching guidance initiative, in partnership with the Tempo organization. Tempo Rising provides backing to nascent women-identifying and non-binary coaches at an initial stage by means of unique entry to guidance, career advancement, and practical coaching sessions alongside Ujiri, Wright Rogers, and Tempo coach Sandy Brondello.