After 13 seasons, the Toronto Raptors are parting ways with vice chairman and president Masai Ujiri the club announced on Friday.
As the club enters into a new chapter, General Manager Bobby Webster will reportedly assume many of Ujiri’s responsibilities for the time being. As part of the Ujiri announcement, the club also confirmed an extension had been agreed upon with Webster, though term and value of the deal were not immediately made public.
“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 & CEO Keith Pelley said in a statement. “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.”
“We are confident that the Raptors organization, under the guidance of Bobby and his team, is in a great place,” Pelley added. “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.”
Ujiri was set to enter the final year of his contract in 2025-26. The 54 year old executive joined the Raptors as general manager in 2013 coming over from the Denver Nuggets. He would go on to win the NBA’s Executive of the Year Award that season, and would guide Toronto to an NBA title in 2019.
The parting of ways seems to be a pattern for MLSE of late, as the ownership group seems to be moving on from the role of team presidents. Brendan Shanahan was let go last month by the Maple Leafs, and Bill Manning was jettisoned last year by both Toronto FC (MLS) and the Argonauts (CFL).
The Raptors 545-419 record under Ujiri since 2013-14 is the 5th-best in the NBA during that span. It’s currently unclear whether Ujiri plans to remain in basketball for the upcoming season, or whether he will take some time away from the sport to focus on his numerous other ventures.
Photo: Shaheen Karolia. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.