Masai Ujiri returned to the Nuggets in 2010 as general manager and executive vice president of basketball operations, and helped turn the team's fortunes around, returning them to the playoffs.
34 Facts About Masai Ujiri
2.
Masai Ujiri was born in Bournemouth, England, to Nigerian and Kenyan parents.
3.
Masai Ujiri's father, a hospital administrator and nursing educator, is an Isoko from Aviara in Delta state, while his mother, a doctor, is a Kenyan from Machakos County.
4.
Masai Ujiri originally played association football as a youth before stating his interest in basketball as a 13-year-old playing with friends on outdoor basketball courts in northern Nigeria.
5.
Masai Ujiri admired Hakeem Olajuwon, an NBA star who was Nigerian.
6.
Masai Ujiri left Nigeria to play for Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, WA while staying with a Nigerian family.
7.
Masai Ujiri left Montana and returned to England to begin a pro career.
8.
Masai Ujiri then returned to Solent Stars, playing two seasons either side of a short stint with Belgian side Tournai-Estaimpuis, followed by just one appearance with Hemel Royals.
9.
Masai Ujiri later spent three months in Finland with BC Nokia, where he played two preseason games before being waived.
10.
In 2002, Masai Ujiri was accompanying a young Nigerian player to a draft tryout in Orlando when he impressed Magic scouting director Gary Brokaw, who then introduced Masai Ujiri to coach Doc Rivers and GM John Gabriel.
11.
Masai Ujiri then became an unpaid scout for the NBA's Orlando Magic, paying his own way when he had to and sharing rooms with scouts or players when he could.
12.
Masai Ujiri returned to the Nuggets in 2010, as general manager and executive vice president in charge of basketball operations.
13.
Masai Ujiri is the only non-American ever to win the award.
14.
On May 31,2013, Masai Ujiri signed a 5-year, $15 million deal to become executive vice president and general manager of the Toronto Raptors, replacing Colangelo in that capacity.
15.
Masai Ujiri helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history in 2016, where his contract was extended to act as the team's president.
16.
Masai Ujiri fired head coach Dwane Casey shortly after their 2018 second round exit to LeBron James and the Cavs, promoting assistant Nick Nurse to head coach, conducted the high-profile trade of DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green later that summer, and acquired Marc Gasol before the trade deadline.
17.
Ray Kelly, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Department, alleged that Masai Ujiri failed to show proper credentials for access to the floor.
18.
Kelly further alleged that when stopped, Masai Ujiri had shoved a sheriff's deputy, that the deputy had made contact in response, and that Masai Ujiri shoved the deputy back and made contact with his face.
19.
Raptors player Kyle Lowry then came over to Masai Ujiri and escorted him onto the court to celebrate with the team.
20.
Alternate angles of the incident appear to show Masai Ujiri shouting in the direction of the deputy with his arm around Lowry after making his way onto the court.
21.
The Sheriff's Department did not release body camera footage depicting the start of the incident and announced that their footage had happened to "switch off" when Masai Ujiri allegedly struck the officer.
22.
The footage showed Masai Ujiri reaching for his game credentials, but neither the purple trophy credential or the yellow armband credential needed to access the court postgame is seen before the deputy shoved Masai Ujiri twice in the chest.
23.
The footage revealed that the deputy, not Masai Ujiri, initiated the physical contact.
24.
Masai Ujiri subsequently dropped his countersuit against Alameda County sheriff's deputy Alan Strickland.
25.
Masai Ujiri has served as director of the NBA's Basketball Without Borders Africa program, which promotes basketball throughout the continent.
26.
Masai Ujiri conducts two camps, one for the top 50 players of Nigeria, which is sponsored by Nestle Milo, and another for African big men, which Ujiri sponsors himself with help from Nike.
27.
Masai Ujiri has taken personal offense to former President Donald Trump's comments about immigrants from places like Haiti and his homeland Nigeria, which Trump referred to as "shitholes".
28.
Masai Ujiri opined that President Trump's words did not demonstrate inspiring leadership and were unfair to the nations and peoples to which Trump referred.
29.
On November 28,2018, Masai Ujiri received the first-ever President's Peace Medal presented by the YMCA of Greater Toronto during Peace Week.
30.
Masai Ujiri received the honor alongside two YMCA Peace Medal honourees, Toronto police constable Dale Swift and mental health activist Loizza Aquino.
31.
In February 2020, Masai Ujiri accompanied Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on an official visit to various African nations, including Ethiopia and Senegal.
32.
Masai Ujiri appeared on behalf of sport charity Right To Play at an event in the Senegalese capital, Dakar.
33.
Masai Ujiri has stated he views himself as a Canadian citizen as well as a son of Africa.
34.
Masai Ujiri later confirmed that he holds Canadian citizenship and has a valid Canadian passport.