The Great One wrote:
View Post
Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
Everything Masai Ujiri
Collapse
X
-
Official Pope of the Raptors sponsored by MLSE.
-
The Great One wrote: View Post
Put yourself in Masai's shoes. Dolan makes you the highest paid exectuve in the league and gives you FULL autonomy of the team. You wouldn't take the job? we're not talking about the Memphis Grizzlies here or the Denver Nuggets or the Charlotte Hornets. We're talking about the New York Knicks here.
Washington seemed to be a better gig anyway and he said not to that. If Masai's goals seem more in line with politics than it does business.
Comment
-
Masai has been on record saying:
Fuck Brooklyn, fuck knicks and fuck philly.
believe in this city, believe in yourselves
We will make Toronto a destination.
we will win (another) ring in Toronto
on top of that, we know he does not like the political climate in the usa, on top of tannenbaum vs Dolan
I'd be shocked if at this current time masai was interested in anything other than getting back to the top9 time first team all-RR, First Ballot Hall of Forum
- 1 like
Comment
-
KeonClark wrote: View PostMasai has been on record saying:
Fuck Brooklyn, fuck knicks and fuck philly.
believe in this city, believe in yourselves
We will make Toronto a destination.
we will win (another) ring in Toronto
on top of that, we know he does not like the political climate in the usa, on top of tannenbaum vs Dolan
I'd be shocked if at this current time masai was interested in anything other than getting back to the topMamba Mentality
- 1 like
Comment
-
I don't know what Dolan would do, but if Dolan make Masai the highest paid executive in the league and give him FULL autonomy of the team. Masai would take the job. Everyone would. The Knicks are the most valuable franchise in the NBA and the 5th most valuable franchise in the world. 5th behind the Cowboys, Yankees, Barcelona and Real Madrid. And this is with the Knicks being irrelevant the last 20 years. Imagine if they start winning?
So stop with all these believe in this city, believe in yourselves, we will make Toronto a destination naive take bullshit. Toronto is such a destination that Kawhi Leonard left after winning the chip.Mamba Mentality
Comment
-
planetmars wrote: View PostGrange has an article up on the Masai to NY thing. MLSE did *not* offer an extension, because they didn't have to. So Beck is probably wrong. However Masai may still go to NY when his contract is over. Grange lists some reasons why he might. However the key right now is that Masai did not refuse an extension as one was not offered. I feel better.
Here is the link:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/...-leave-knicks/
• The notion that Ujiri would somehow be unwise or even scared to go to work for the combustible Dolan doesn’t hold water, even if a lot of highly regarded basketball people have had their career low points working for him.
Ujiri spends his spare time going to war-torn regions in Africa in the name of basketball. He broke into the league by working for free, spending his savings to travel the world and prove his worth as a basketball talent evaluator. His first task as a rookie general manager was to trade then-Denver Nuggets superstar Carmelo Anthony. With the Raptors at a precipice, he went all-in on Kawhi Leonard while the rest of the NBA fiddled. In short: he’s not going to be frightened about the challenges presented by working at Madison Square Garden.
For good reason there is nothing in basketball that would frighten him, both because of how he got this far and because he’s worldly enough to know what being scared really is. The challenge would intrigue him, the downside risk wouldn’t deter him.
• There is probably no city in the world that would provide a greater opportunity for Ujiri to further the ambitions of his foundation than New York, where he could walk to the United Nations for lunch and meet potential billionaire donors for breakfast. It’s a global nerve centre for business and politics and it would be impossible for Ujiri to fail to expand his already considerable network there.
If his ultimate goal is to further his causes in Africa, New York is a better base to work from.
The question, really, is if there is anything MLSE can do to make Ujiri a semi-permanent piece of the Toronto landscape, to make the Knicks or other threats distant or far-fetched?
On that front, their best chance to put the coming drama to bed may have passed.
Comment
-
-
golden wrote: View Post
I feel worse. Way worse. Grange basically refutes any reason why Masai would be deterred from going, while succinctly itemizing what he has to gain by relocating to NYC. Also: why TF didn't MLSE make the contract extension in the first place?
And I still think Washington was the better team/city for him if he jetted. He's got more of a political mindset than a business one. I don't think he's driven by money/fame.
Comment
-
Just like when contract talks when fred heat up the raptors have an inherit advantage when it comes to masai and fred. We believed in them, We let them grow. Raptors have been happy to incorporate GOA and His yearly Nelson Mandela Night. The raptors saw before anyone else that what Masai was doing in Africa was important and supported him and for a sentimental guy like Masai that goes a long way.
Also 2 misconceptions- How much more does Masai gain for GOA being in New york? We are a globalized,electronic world, this dude has the former president of the united states in his blackberry. Adam silver loves him, he has friends in the NBA front office.
2nd- Does he even want that pressure? We all saw him sweating his ass off at that press confrence after trading Demar. And that was just being politely asked about Kawhi reporting by the 20 media members that report on Toronto. Imagine the New york medias response to a draft pick like pascal siakam. Imagine their response to firing the coach of the year. Imagine trading Melo, for derrick rose coming off a knee injury.To be the champs you got to beat the champs
Comment
-
bertarapsfan wrote: View PostJust like when contract talks when fred heat up the raptors have an inherit advantage when it comes to masai and fred. We believed in them, We let them grow. Raptors have been happy to incorporate GOA and His yearly Nelson Mandela Night. The raptors saw before anyone else that what Masai was doing in Africa was important and supported him and for a sentimental guy like Masai that goes a long way.
Also 2 misconceptions- How much more does Masai gain for GOA being in New york? We are a globalized,electronic world, this dude has the former president of the united states in his blackberry. Adam silver loves him, he has friends in the NBA front office.
2nd- Does he even want that pressure? We all saw him sweating his ass off at that press confrence after trading Demar. And that was just being politely asked about Kawhi reporting by the 20 media members that report on Toronto. Imagine the New york medias response to a draft pick like pascal siakam. Imagine their response to firing the coach of the year. Imagine trading Melo, for derrick rose coming off a knee injury.
Comment
-
planetmars wrote: View Post
Yeah I don't know why Grange would be promoting NY to Masai when he works for the same company as Masai. Kind of an idiot. But the main take away for me is that Masai didn't balk at an extension. That concerned me. He wasn't given one because he still has 2 years left on his deal (actually could be 3 years). Extensions usually come up the year before their last. Not 2+ years.
And I still think Washington was the better team/city for him if he jetted. He's got more of a political mindset than a business one. I don't think he's driven by money/fame.
And if he leaves, contrary to popular belief, the world won't end. The organization is in terrific shape and the infrastructure and resources won't disappear overnight. Ujiri has done a fantastic job but he isn't the only good basketball mind and leader in the NBA. No one is irreplaceable. Life will go on.
- 2 likes
Comment
-
golden wrote: View Post
Adam Silver's relationship concerns me also. Just like Stern pushed Donnie Walsh to the Knicks and Silver forced Colangelo into the Sixers, I'm pretty sure Silver would be "gently encouraging" his good buddy Masai to seriously consider taking his talents to the NBA's most valuable franchise. It would be a self-serving.To be the champs you got to beat the champs
Comment
-
Masai is a man of strong resolve. Does anyone seriously think that Silver is going to decide this for him?
Masai can pretty much go anywhere and pick his job and he's earned it. All the Raptors can do is stick with him until the end and give him whatever he asks for in contract negotiations. Some people are talking about a $10M/yr offer is likely what he'll receive on the open market in a way that implies the Raptors won't match. Have any of them taken a look at the year over year earnings of the Raptors since Masai got here? They can't afford to NOT pay him. He's made so much money for the business.
Comment
-
Fun fact: James Dolan gave Phil Jackson a $60 million dollar contract, at a press conference said he was 'willingly and gratefully' ceding all basketball responsibilities to Phil Jackson, then 3 years later fired him ('mutually parted ways') after a power struggle re buying out Melo's contract.
Oh yeah and the first thing Phil tried to do was recruit Steve Kerr to be his new head coach and couldn't, Kerr turned down the New York Knicks for some team in Oakland.
Let's not even get into the 2019 free agent class, who turned down the Knicks for legendary NBA franchises like the Nets and Clippers.
Can we stop pretending the Knicks are some obviously magical NBA destination."We're playing in a building." -- Kawhi Leonard
- 4 likes
Comment
Comment