Raptors President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri was caught via video getting into a skirmish with a Golden State police officer following the team’s first NBA title.
The president was supposedly stopped for not having proper credentials, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Here is the video showing the intense situation.
#BREAKING: Sheriff’s deputy reportedly pushed and struck in the face by a man believed to be a Toronto Raptors executive after Game 6 of the #NBAFinals at Oracle Arena, @ACSOSheriffs says. https://t.co/fobdK9iWEq pic.twitter.com/a4X0IysY5Z
— Kristofer Noceda (@krisnoceda) June 14, 2019
As you can see, the camera quickly spins to the right showing both Ujiri’s and the officer’s hands pushing towards each other. The officer then needs to be held back as the Raptors executive discusses the altercation with someone else. (RELATED: Toronto Raptors Win The NBA Championship After Beating The Warriors In Game 6)
My bad. He’s the president of the Raptors. ???? he might be my new hero pic.twitter.com/PU0RuBAZu4
— BEN BALLER™ (@BENBALLER) June 14, 2019
Earlier in the series, it was Golden State minority owner Mark Stevens who received backlash for pushing Kyle Lowry during Game 3.
Ujiri is a bit of a hero right now in Toronto for bringing home Canada’s first NBA title. He fired “coach of the year” Dwane Casey and traded city favorite DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard.
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It will be interesting to see if the executive will receive any sort of fine or suspension for the event, like the one that Stevens was handed by the league (although the situation is different).
It’s possible that Ujiri was simply so hyped up from the victory that he lost control of the situation. Even if that’s the case, he should know better than allegedly pushing an officer in a city that just lost the NBA Finals.
The Alameda County Sherriff’s Office is getting involved in the disagreement, pursuing a misdemeanor charge against Ujiri, according to USA Today’s Dan Wolken.
No matter what the suspension or fine will be, Ujiri will still be a hero deserving of a statue in Toronto.