Why Masai Ujiri’s departure feels like a gut punch for Raptors fans

Masai was much more than just a winning general manager and strategic mastermind. He was the beating heart of the franchise.

Raptors fans are grappling with the departure of Masai Ujiri from his role as President of the Toronto Raptors. What is especially unsettling about his exit is the cold, corporate feel behind it, seemingly driven by cost savings and politics.

Back in 2021, Doug Smith published an article for the Toronto Star outlining a storyline that could have been ripped from the TV show ‘Succession’. Ed Rogers, executive chairman at Rogers Communications, had reportedly told his partners he felt “[Masai’s] compensation was too high” and argued that “The Raptors could be managed with Ujiri’s help by the existing general manager Bobby Webster”. Doug further noted, “Rogers called Ujiri and told him he wasn’t worth the money he was being paid. The NBA source said the call left Ujiri feeling so angry and disrespected by Rogers that he considered taking a year off as president.” Later, it was revealed that the Rogers camp also tried to block a WNBA team from coming to Toronto.

Many of us have grown accustomed to the effects of late-stage capitalism, oligopolies, and rising prices in our daily lives. We’ve seen what happens when new leadership comes in and leans heavily towards short-sighted cost-cutting at the expense of the long-term organizational health and culture. The Raptors were fortunate enough to have a leader who prioritized his players, his staff, the fans and the community. A leader who shielded the organization from heavy-handed cost-cutters. And he, in turn, was reportedly shielded by Larry Tanenbaum and MLSE minority partners in the boardroom.

But on June 5th, Rogers received all necessary league approvals to buy Bell’s MLSE stake. Yesterday, MLSE CEO Keith Pelley was asked directly when Ujiri was told he was done with the Raptors. Pelley replied, “We talked earlier, at the beginning of this month.” They really didn’t waste any time, did they?

In life, things are not black and white. There is undoubtedly a plethora of stories from all parties involved, both good and bad, that we are not privy to. But narratives form, even if they might sometimes be misguided or contrived.

However, we’ve seen this movie play out in majority-owned Toronto sports before. Alex Anthopoulos, who built a contender with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015, similarly reportedly left because he felt his autonomy threatened by new leadership. Anthopoulos’ successors — Shapiro and Atkins (aka Shatkins) — rode the coattails of players Anthopoulos brought in to the ALCS in 2016. Since then, they have won 0 (!) wild-card or playoff games and remain firmly at the helm.

Masai was a charismatic, genuine leader and a true role model for everyone involved. He inspired trust and belief. He was courageous and willing to challenge the consensus, whether it be with an off-the-board draft pick, a new team style, or a new coach. He wasn’t afraid to yell “**** Brooklyn” before facing them in a playoff series, nor was he hesitant to show his emotions when reflecting on Dikembe Mutombo’s untimely passing or on the decision to trade DeMar DeRozan.

If you’ve been following the Raptors for a while, you know he was the best GM and President the Raptors have ever had by a country mile. Here are some other statements I don’t think are hyperbolic:

• He’s the best GM any Toronto team has seen in my millennial lifetime
• Under his tenure, he was hugely responsible for the value of the team appreciating by Billions (with a B) of dollars
• He did more for the sport in Canada than any player ever did, Vince Carter included
• He did more for the sport in Africa through Giants of Africa than anyone could have foreseen

Oh, and he won the only title by a Canadian team in the big four North American sports since 1993. Other contributions include bringing a WNBA team to Toronto, co-chairing the NBA’s Social Justice Coalition and spearheading the construction of the OVO Athletic Center. Talk about footnotes.

Before Masai, the Raptors were perennial losers firmly implanted in the dregs of the NBA. We had won just one playoff series in almost 20 years of existence. Other highlights from that time frame included a single win against the 60-8 Bulls in 1996, some admittedly nasty Vince Carter dunks and a 13-game run where Bargnani averaged 23.5 points per game.

In an attempt to turn the Raptors’ ship, MLSE brought in Tim Leiweke, who in turn lured Masai away from the Denver Nuggets to become our General Manager. Ujiri quickly flipped Rudy Gay into several contributing pieces, and the 2013-2014 Raptors made the playoffs for the first time since 2008. It was a mostly steady progression until 2019, but they were ultimately unable to break through the ceiling that LeBron James provided. Then, the 2019 Championship that Hollywood couldn’t have scripted much better. And a reputation around the league for winning the right way.

He and now-GM Bobby Webster’s performance has been a mixed bag since the championship, to be sure. And Rogers has expressed their commitment to Webster, a protégé of Masai’s. However, Webster will need to apply for the President role — a process that could prove awkward if he’s ultimately passed over and expected to report to the person selected instead.

Ujiri could have left after he was informed in early June, but he chose to continue until after the draft. Masai’s fingerprints are all over the organization, and my guess is that he was determined to build a culture resilient enough to fight the good fight long after his departure. Masai will continue to make an impact, whether it be in another GM or president role, or perhaps in a position he feels he can have an even bigger influence. And while my Raptors fandom won’t wane, I’ll also have a new team or organization to root for when Masai decides where he’s needed most.