"I will serve it with every last breath in my body" – Masai Ujiri speaks about his sheer dedication to basketball
Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri has been turning heads since he was brought into the league. That was especially so after being named the president of basketball operations for the Raptors in 2013.
In an interview with GQ Sports, Ujiri talked about the Raptors and the reason why he continues to be a part of that franchise. Ujiri said:
"I still feel like Toronto is a gold mine. There’s so much potential in the ball club, in the ability to be the only team outside the United States where you can be the center of the globe, that sees it from every different perspective ... and you don’t have to fight against the other teams.
"You can build what you want to build and have an incredible identity in many different directions. I saw the potential for building that here. Because you must be proud of who you are."
Ujiri talked about his dedication to the game of basketball. Ujiri said:
"You have to show more passion than ambition. Yes, we all want to be ambitious, but passion will lead you to incredible places. This is where the game finds me today, and I will serve it with every last breath in my body, with all the blood in my body. I believe in the game that much."
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How important is Masai Ujiri to the Raptors' success?
One of the pivotal figures behind the Toronto Raptors' success story in 2019, Masai Ujiri was the man who assembled the roster that beat the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals to win the franchise's first championship.
Ujiri orchestrated the Kawhi Leonard-DeMar DeRozan deal with the San Antonio Spurs. The trade raised a lot of questions regarding the Raptors and their decision to part ways with their best player. Questions were also asked about the health of Leonard, and the fact that he had only one year left on his contract and whether parting ways with DeRozan was worth it.
Along with trading for Leonard, Ujiri also acquired Danny Green and then Marc Gasol at the trade deadline as these players played a pivotal role in winning the championship.
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The end justified the means, as Leonard led the Toronto Raptors to a championship. Leonard did not sign a new contract with the Raptors as he wanted to play alongside Paul George, and the only way the Raptors could sign George would have been to compile a trade that included Pascal Siakam. It was another bold move from Ujiri as he placed his faith in Siakam.
Ujiri has also been a constant advocate for equality and has been one of the leading voices in the NBA to speak about prevalent racism. He was awarded the NBA Executive of the Year in 2013, when he was with the Denver Nuggets.