Masai Ujiri is as vice-president and president of Raptors of TorontoSaid leaves of leaves and entertainment (MLSE).
Mlse and Ujiri, who entered the last year of his contract, “separating” on Friday, the organization announced. The departure of Ujiri was reported for the first time by ESPN, citing sources.
The reported dismissal continues the recent MLSE trend to move to team presidents: Brendan Shanahan was released last month by the Maple Leafs, And Bill Manning was released last year by the Toronto FC and the Argonauts.
Keith Pelley, president and chief executive officer of MLSE, said in a statement that Ujiri, 54, was an “inspiring leader” who had transformed the organization both on and off the field.
“He brought an NBA championship to Toronto and urged us to believe in this city and ourselves,” he said.
“We are grateful to everything he has done and wish him and his family.”
Ujiri took the Raptors to his only NBA title in 2019 after a series of daring movements, including the trade star Derozan for Kawhi Leonard and the dismissal coach Dwane Casey in favor of the assistant coach of the time, Nick Nurse.
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Under Ujiri, the Raptors made the series of seven consecutive seasons from 2013-2014 to 2019-20. However, the team had trouble after its championship glory, not having taken up this magic and entering a reconstruction which saw the team miss the playoffs with a file of 30-52 this year.
Reports had surfaced at the end of last year according to which there were frictions between Ujiri and Edward Rogers, the executive president of Rogers Communications, who is now the MLSE shareholder. Ujiri tried to rest these rumors in SeptemberWhile the Star of Toronto reported in 2021 that Rogers had fought without success to re-signate Ujiri as vice-president and president of basketball operations, saying that it was not worth the amount offered.
Deputy Managing Director in Toronto in 2008, before taking the post of Denver Nuggets Director General, he was rehired by the Raptors to direct basketball operations in May 2013. Ujiri, a Nigerian national, is also co-founder of Giants of Africa, an organization that uses sport as a tool to help young people on the continent.
Pelley said that a search for Ujiri’s successor will start immediately. The management of the Raptors Front-Office remains in place, with extensions for key staff, including managing director Bobby Webster.
“We are convinced that the Raptors organization, under the direction of Bobby and its team, is in an ideal place,” said Pelley.
“They have a plan in place for next season and beyond when the team continues its reconstruction, and we have confidence in their ability to execute and, ultimately, to excel. We believe that the team is in a strong and stable place, and we think that the addition of a new president will continue to advance raptors, to our next NBA championship. ”
– with Canadian press files
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