Regardless of what anyone thought of him — whether it was rival executives often turned away by his hard-nosed business tactics or the sea of adoring fans who became hardcore Masai supporters — in some shape or form, Masai Ujiri left a lasting impact throughout the basketball community.
And earlier today, the official YouTube channel for Giants of Africa (Ujiri's non-profit organization that aims to improve the lives of African youth through basketball) posted a video in which Ujiri shared a heartfelt message for Toronto and expressed his gratitude for being part of the Raptors franchise.
The video, which is five minutes and fifty-four seconds long, is essentially Ujiri's goodbye letter (or a trip down memory lane package, if you will) featuring a backdrop of some of his best moments in the city.
Here are just some of Ujiri's most impactful quotes from the video:
"Toronto, Canada. I love you. The country that welcomed me. The city that became home. This bond we share will last forever."via "Masai Ujiri's Tribute to Toronto"
"Now, a new chapter begins. But your love will always be with me. Basketball brought me here, but beyond this beautiful game, we are always connected. And for that I am so thankful. "via "Masai Ujiri's Tribute to Toronto"
"It's the only home all of my children have known. Their friends and community have helped shape them into who they are, and they'll have lasting impact on who they will all become. My wife Ramuta has built roots here that will last a lifetime. Our connections with the city and its many communities are unbreakable."via "Masai Ujiri's Tribute to Toronto"
"When disbelief and doubt rain on us, the same downpour nourished the grounds we rose from. Day ones 1995 till now. The Toronto Raptors. We the North ascended together and as a city, as a nation, as a team, we became champions."via "Masai Ujiri's Tribute to Toronto"
"The strength of women, barriers breaking. I'm proud that our Raptors staff reflected the talents of every woman, ones who should always be recognized. I'll be right here when our Toronto Tempo makes history in the WNBA."via "Masai Ujiri's Tribute to Toronto"
"My dreams of a second championship are alive and well, and that pursuit will surely carry on as my next chapter begins. To the Raptors family, to our fans, every single playervia "Masai Ujiri's Tribute to Toronto"
that's worn the uniform with passion and pride, I love you and I thank you. This team has reached the summit once before. With strong leadership in place, the
Raptors will continue to climb that mountain back to an NBA title. You'll win again in Toronto."
I don't think a goodbye video gets any better than that; it truly encapsulates every aspect of Ujiri's role within the Raptors organization and the subsequent positive ripple effects it had.. not only on the city but even in the successors to come, like his mention of the upcoming Toronto Tempo WNBA franchise.
I thought it was certainly striking too, when he mentions the line, "With strong leadership in place," it immediately cuts to a clip of Masai Ujiri and GM Bobby Webster side by side.
That definitely makes sense, considering Webster is viewed as and has largely been Ujiri's long-time confidant and protégé; it sets the stage for him to possibly succeed the Masai era, even if the Raptors organization and MLSE continue to search for someone to step into the vacant President role.