Montreal (AFP) – Masai Ujiri, who oversaw a 2019 NBA championship run, has been axed as president and vice-chairman of the Toronto Raptors, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) announced Friday. The 54-year-old English-born executive has British, Nigerian, Kenyan, and Canadian citizenship. He was named the NBA’s Executive of the Year in 2013 while with Denver, the only non-US winner of the award.
“During his 13 seasons with the Raptors, Masai has helped transform the organization on the court and has been an inspirational leader off it,” MLSE President and chief executive officer Keith Pelley said. “He brought an NBA championship to Toronto and urged us to believe in this city and ourselves. We are grateful for all he has done and wish him and his family the very best.”
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The Raptors, however, went 30-52 this past season, missing the NBA playoffs for the third year in a row and fourth time in five seasons. They haven’t won a playoff series since getting past Brooklyn in the 2020 opening round. “As we plan for the franchise’s future, and its return to the NBA playoffs, a search for the successor as president of the Raptors, led by CAA Executive Search, will begin immediately.”
The move came a day after the NBA Draft and just ahead of next week’s start of NBA free agency. The Raptors announced they would keep key front office personnel, including general manager Bobby Webster, who received a contract extension, the terms of which were not revealed. “We are confident that the Raptors organization, under the guidance of Bobby and his team, is in a great place,” Pelley said. “They have a plan in place for next season and beyond as the team continues its rebuild, and we have confidence in their ability to execute and ultimately, to excel.”
“We feel the team is in a strong, stable place, and we believe the addition of a new president will continue to move the Raptors forward, towards our next NBA championship.” Ujiri played his entire on-court career in Europe, including a stint with England’s Derby Rams, before joining the Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets as a scout. He was hired by the Raptors as global scouting director and in 2008 became Toronto’s assistant general manager. He returned to Denver in 2010 as executive vice president and general manager, the first African general manager in major American sports. The Nuggets won a club-record 57 games in 2012-13, with Ujiri being named the league’s top executive, and Ujiri signed with the Raptors as executive vice president and general manager in May 2013.
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