Masai Ujiri

When his friends and classmates in Nigeria were playing soccer, Masai Ujiri was watching highlights of Hakeem Olajuwon. His love of the game brought him to college in the United States, and when his career on the court was complete, his career off-court began.

He started on the ground as a scout, working for teams traveling the world and searching for talent in gyms all over the globe. Masai was named general manager of the Denver Nuggets in 2011, becoming the first African GM in pro sports, and won the 2013 NBA Executive of the Year award. In Toronto, he has served as director of global scouting and assistant general manager, and in 2013, Masai was named president of the Toronto Raptors. In 2021, after signing a new contract, Masai added the role of vice-chairman of the club to his responsibilities as team president.

Under his leadership, the Raptors won the 2019 NBA Championship, the first team outside the United States to do so. Masai has said that while he is proud to be the first African team president in North American sports, he would consider it a failure if he was the last: “Being first is good, but I don't want to be the only one. There have to be more.” Masai’s belief in equity and diversity is reflected in his organization: he has committed to hiring women, and investing in organizational inclusion and diversity. 

Masai has served as director of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Africa program. He has travelled with the Prime Minister as part of the Canadian delegation to the 2019 African Union meetings and serves on the advisory board of the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security. He has been named an officer to the Order of Canada for his contributions as an NBA executive and humanitarian. Masai and his wife, Ramatu, live in Toronto with their three children.

In 2003, Masai founded Giants of Africa, an organization which uses sport as a tool to enrich the lives of youth on the continent, and create opportunities for them on and off the court. Masai’s ethos is to “Dream Big,” and now GOA connects with youth – both boys and girls - in 17 African countries.

The summer of 2018 marked 15 years of the organization, and that July, Masai and former U.S. President Barack Obama opened a Giants of Africa court in Alego, Kenya. In 2021, Giants of Africa committed to building 100 basketball courts as part of a continent-wide investment in sports infrastructure. To celebrate the organization’s 20th anniversary, the inaugural Giants of Africa Festival united over 250 youth from 16 African nations to Kigali, Rwanda for a week-long celebration of basketball, education, culture, and entertainment in August 2023.

Masai has partnered with Helios Investment Partners to form Zaria Group, focused on catalyzing sports and entertainment infrastructure in Africa through the development, management and commercialization of sustainable multi-use venues, arenas, stadiums and the surrounding ecosystem.