Masai Ujiri breaks silence after Raptors firing: ‘I LOVE YOU, TORONTO’
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Masai Ujiri has nothing but positive feelings about Toronto following his firing as Raptors vice-chairman and president.
The longtime Raptors executive appeared on Good Morning America on Thursday, where he spoke publicly for the first time since he and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment mutually agreed to part ways ahead of the final year of his most recent contract extension.
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Masai Ujiri breaks silence after Raptors firing: ‘I LOVE YOU, TORONTO’ Back to video
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While Ujiri did not discuss his departure, the architect of the 2019 NBA champions gushed that he has nothing but love for the place he called home for more than a decade.
“I love you, Toronto. I love you, Toronto,” Ujiri said to GMA host Robin Roberts.
“It’s been 12 incredible years with the Toronto Raptors, and I am so grateful and thankful for the opportunity.”
Ujiri continued: “Fans, my family, colleagues, coaches, players, the owners, everybody has been incredible to me.”
He added: “A great part, great journey in my life. It’s time, and great things come to an end.”
The Raptors hired Ujiri as vice-president and general manager in 2013, after which the team consistently became playoff contenders.
By 2016, he was promoted to team president while Bobby Webster took over the GM role the following year.
In 2021, Ujiri inked a five-year deal to remain in Toronto, despite being considered for other front-office gigs.
On June 27, the team confirmed that Ujiri was out before MLSE president Keith Pelley spoke at a media conference, thanking the longtime exec and noting that Webster and his staff would remain in place.
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“Today’s not an easy day. But, as you know, change is never easy,” Pelley told reporters.
“Masai Ujiri has had a monumental impact on the Raptors and on our community during his 13 seasons with this organization. His legacy will be indelibly etched in our city in perpetuity based on him playing such a significant role of bringing the 2019 NBA championship to our city and also how he transformed our brand and worked through the Raptors to create a connection with so many fans in Toronto.”
Pelley added: “We owe Masai a great deal of gratitude and wish him the very best moving forward. One thing we know: Wherever Masai ends up, he will be successful.”
Ujiri admitted to Roberts that his future remains uncertain, but continues to make his Giants of Africa organization, which runs youth basketball camps throughout the continent, his priority.
“Now, it’s day to day with the family,” he said.
“It’s a time to really look at it from the top, and I know there are great things coming.”
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