Everything Masai Ujiri

[G__Deane]

Let’s circle back to these feelings if he leaves. Lol.

From the work side, not human side, he's a great NBA Executive but proving to be not as infallible as some make him out to be. His ultimate rep has been partially built on the same foundation that Lowry's has; a very fortuitous and once in a lifetime trade for a disgruntled superstar resulting in an NBA Championship. Without that season, he's reduced to still top tier status with an inability to get a team over the final hump. Lowry wouldn't be GROAT except for longevity.

[DanH]

From the work side, not human side, he's a great NBA Executive but proving to be not as infallible as some make him out to be. His ultimate rep has been partially built on the same foundation that Lowry's has; a very fortuitous and once in a lifetime trade for a disgruntled superstar resulting in an NBA Championship. Without that season, he's reduced to still top tier status with an inability to get a team over the final hump. Lowry wouldn't be GROAT except for longevity.

Yeah, if Masai HADN'T done the stuff he has done, he'd be viewed differently. I mean, not that differently, Masai was a top 5 GM in the league before the Kawhi trade by most reckoning. But still. Good thing he did do the things he did, huh?

[GOLDBLUM]

Yeah, if Masai HADN'T done the stuff he has done, he'd be viewed differently. I mean, not that differently, Masai was a top 5 GM in the league before the Kawhi trade by most reckoning. But still. Good thing he did do the things he did, huh?

If Deaner hadn't said a number of the things he continues to say along the way, I wouldn't view him as frequently, publicly, casually racist.

Cause and effect reineth supreme.

[KeonClark]

From the work side, not human side, he's a great NBA Executive but proving to be not as infallible as some make him out to be. His ultimate rep has been partially built on the same foundation that Lowry's has; a very fortuitous and once in a lifetime trade for a disgruntled superstar resulting in an NBA Championship. Without that season, he's reduced to still top tier status with an inability to get a team over the final hump. Lowry wouldn't be GROAT except for longevity.

If my auntie had a dick, she'd be my uncle.

Masai is the #1 reason for the 2019 championship, not Kawhi Leonard. Kawhi Leonard is in fact fortunate that Masai Ujiri plucked him from his situation and plopped him into this one, then went and got Marc Gasol after. He's a 2x champion and he has the 2 best run organizations in the NBA (spurs w/duncan and raps w/lowry) to thank. Until we see him drag Paul George to a championship in LA, he's not as inevitable as some think.

[LJ2]

If my auntie had a dick, she'd be my uncle.

Masai is the #1 reason for the 2019 championship, not Kawhi Leonard. Kawhi Leonard is in fact fortunate that Masai Ujiri plucked him from his situation and plopped him into this one, then went and got Marc Gasol after. He's a 2x champion and he has the 2 best run organizations in the NBA (spurs w/duncan and raps w/lowry) to thank. Until we see him drag Paul George to a championship in LA, he's not as inevitable as some think.

That's a good point. If I recall there were a couple of teams including Boston, and New York that were thought as being potential landing spots for Kawhi that year. Somehow I just don't think it would have ended with a championship for him with either of those teams and well New York is still in limbo and surprisingly Boston currently looks no better than the Raps despite holding onto all their assets.

[LJ2]

Sometimes I question the drive to win for some of these free agents. Isn't it obvious by now this team is one of the best managed and coached teams out there? Masai has us in a ready position where we just need that one superstar in any given season and we could complete for a title, but players just can't seem to get past the "not a America" mentality.

[KeonClark]

That's a good point. If I recall there were a couple of teams including Boston, and New York that were thought as being potential landing spots for Kawhi that year. Somehow I just don't think it would have ended with a championship for him with either of those teams and well New York is still in limbo and surprisingly Boston currently looks no better than the Raps despite holding onto all their assets.

He also phrases it like masai had a lucky situation just fall into his lap. Do we all actually remember the summer of 2018? MAJORITY of raptors fans, including many here, hated the move. Majority thought he wouldn't even play, masai was sweating bullets for the first time ever defending himself in a press conference.

And a year later, Did he get any apologies? Did he gloat or say "I told you so, I'm so smart" like 99% of keyboard warriors would have? fuck no. He gave all the credit to the players, and was happy for them. All class.

but people forget the balls that move took. Masai risked his reputation and potentially his job for a home run swing, and sent out a local legend in the process.

kawhi played unbelievable, sublime basketball. To that there is no doubt. But the building blocks were here already, and the trade pieces were here to make pop and Buford happy. Before Kawhi played his brilliant basketball, Masai was playing manager. And he put on a master class.

[G__Deane]

If Deaner hadn't said a number of the things he continues to say along the way, I wouldn't view him as frequently, publicly, casually racist.

Cause and effect reineth supreme.

Moron ....

[golden]

Sometimes I question the drive to win for some of these free agents. Isn't it obvious by now this team is one of the best managed and coached teams out there? Masai has us in a ready position where we just need that one superstar in any given season and we could complete for a title, but players just can't seem to get past the "not a America" mentality.

In some ways, it's the opposite: the drive (or more accurately, the pressure) to win is intense these days. These days you can be league MVP, but until you win a chip, all your achievements are discredited. Not just by fans, but by old legends (Shaq, Magic, MJ, etc...).

The days of Stockton and Malone losing with honor and still being respected are gone. The pressure to win is now so strong that elite players feel the need to stack the deck, which was legitimized by Lebron, Wade and Bosh teaming up in their primes.

So, we need to have a legit elite player that is respected by his elite peers on our roster, before we can even be in the conversation. Otherwise, trying to get 2 elite players to team up and come to Toronto wouldn't be that appealing.

[G__Deane]

He also phrases it like masai had a lucky situation just fall into his lap. Do we all actually remember the summer of 2018? MAJORITY of raptors fans, including many here, hated the move. Majority thought he wouldn't even play, masai was sweating bullets for the first time ever defending himself in a press conference.

And a year later, Did he get any apologies? Did he gloat or say "I told you so, I'm so smart" like 99% of keyboard warriors would have? fuck no. He gave all the credit to the players, and was happy for them. All class.

but people forget the balls that move took. Masai risked his reputation and potentially his job for a home run swing, and sent out a local legend in the process.

kawhi played unbelievable, sublime basketball. To that there is no doubt. But the building blocks were here already, and the trade pieces were here to make pop and Buford happy. Before Kawhi played his brilliant basketball, Masai was playing manager. And he put on a master class.

But do you think Masai and Lowry would be looked at quite as highly around here if the 5 rim bounce hadn't happened, Raps get bounced in the second round say and Kawhi leaves in free agency? Come on .... Masai would still be looked at an an excellent GM/Prez but who couldn't put the final piece into a pretty good team.

What if Kawhi had never become available? Would he have blown up DeMar or Lowry in another way. You bet he would have.

You can say, "we'll he did land Kawhi and they did win a chip" but that's not the conversation. Masai and Lowry cemented an elevated reputation with Kawhi and winning the chip. Period.

[G__Deane]

In some ways, it's the opposite: the drive (or more accurately, the pressure) to win is intense these days. These days you can be league MVP, but until you win a chip, all your achievements are discredited. Not just by fans, but by old legends (Shaq, Magic, MJ, etc...).

The days of Stockton and Malone losing with honor and still being respected are gone. The pressure to win is now so strong that elite players feel the need to stack the deck, which was legitimized by Lebron, Wade and Bosh teaming up in their primes.

So, we need to have a legit elite player that is respected by his elite peers on our roster, before we can even be in the conversation. Otherwise, trying to get 2 elite players to team up and come to Toronto wouldn't be that appealing.

I agree with this.

Also not enough pride in winning without a stacked team and not enough pride in the team you represent these days. These are the Me Me Me days in sports. Now Golden will somehow twist that to be racist

[KeonClark]

But do you think Masai and Lowry would be looked at quite as highly around here if the 5 rim bounce hadn't happened, Raps get bounced in the second round say and Kawhi leaves in free agency? Come on .... Masai would still be looked at an an excellent GM/Prez but who couldn't put the final piece into a pretty good team.

What if Kawhi had never become available? Would he have blown up DeMar or Lowry in another way. You bet he would have.

You can say, "we'll he did land Kawhi and they did win a chip" but that's not the conversation. Masai and Lowry cemented an elevated reputation with Kawhi and winning the chip. Period.

And Kawhi didnt? Everybody got lucky the 5 bounce shot went in, kawhi included. A championship takes a group of people, and they all mutually benefit.

I'm not even sure what you're trying to get at here? What if the shot didnt go in? Ok? Sports success requires a break or 2 when the margin of error is razor thin?

what if Robert horry doesnt make the shot? What if Jordan gets called for a push off against the jazz? What if Jose Bautista doesnt connect on the bat flip? What if joe Carter doesnt go over the fence? Hell, imagine kawhis parents had never met 30 years ago! Masai would have never gotten so lucky!

Masai steadily built this team and 6 years culminated in the kawhi acquisition. This was not a fluke season. perennial winners got their final piece. You think we would have ever sniffed that opportunity with colangelo?

the results are in, the final score has been tallied. Masai won. Any suggestions of luck or good fortune or what ifs are an exercise in fruitless futility. What if james Naismith didnt even invent basketball?

[Yuri Gagarin]

Lets not forget the bargnani trade. Masai wins most of his trades other gms are probably scared to deal with him. We’re so lucky. Who else would you want?

[KeonClark]

Lets not forget the bargnani trade. Masai wins most of his trades other gms are probably scared to deal with him. We’re so lucky. Who else would you want?

Bargnani led to Poeltl, which was needed to add to Derozan. Every transaction mattered. It's not like one day Masai got a call "Hey, we got a superstar for ya, ya want em?"...oh and I remember the RR Kawhi offers. People here were offering Lowry, OG, multiple 1sts! Everyone here would have run this franchise into the ground 6 times already. But a least most of us know who brought the championship. It was Masai Ujiri. Actually, it was Tim Lieweke.

We need a Tim Lieweke statue outside ACC.

[GOLDBLUM]

***but that's not the conversation.*** Masai and Lowry cemented an elevated reputation with Kawhi and winning the chip. Period.

***not the conversation.***

As decided by you.

You only have to look to the bottom of the previous page, two posts prior to your initial post, to see SR saying: “few people are genuinely inspirational. Masai's one of them.” -- (pretty nice sentiment.)

You arrive two posts later with your whataboutism... which is one of your favourite, subtle forms of racism. You do it when black men are being killed and you do it when qualifying the accomplishments of arguably the best sports executive in North America, (or the world for that matter.)

If you felt like educating yourself, I'd say look up whataboutism and learn something about that... I don't believe for a second, however, that you do feel like educating yourself -- cause you're still doing the same ignorant things you always do. There's a whole pile of valuable anti-racist information out there, a number of pieces of which I specifically suggested to you in the summer, as I thought you could really benefit from looking at it. But it's clear you don't go near that stuff. I guess because you think it doesn't impact you. (White Fragility is probably the best for you. But I believe you to be far too fragile to go near it.)

Whataboutism is more subtly racist than a few days ago when you ignorantly post during his post game interview:
“is English Boucher’s first language?”

And before you come back with “that wasn’t racist.” .... Yup. It was.

(sidenote: when someone tells us our actions are racist, we should investigate those actions, rather than coming straight back and arguing. But again, wtf do you care.)

And as far as me twisting your post to being racist about the 'Me Me Me' days in sports, I don't have to twist it, 'cause you're right, and deep down you know it yourself. (the fact that you bring it up betrays you.) One can call it the 'me me me' days -- one can call it the 'player empowerment days'. What's happened, and continues to happen, is a transfer of power from old white dudes to black athletes and executives. But yeah. it's not the least bit surprising to me that you choose the avenue that resents more power going into black hands.