Masai Ujiri
As leaders, I think we have to give people in many places a chance to have success, not continue to put those people down.Collection: Chance
I don't know how much of an impact I can have, but you hope you can have some.Collection: Hope
It doesn't all have to be about giving money. Sometimes it's a smile that changes the life of one little kid.Collection: Smile
Be very proud of your name and where you come from. It's so important. Say it loud and clear for everybody to hear.
We have to inspire people and give them a sense of hope. We need to bring people along, not ridicule and tear them down.
Look at the teams that have been successful in the NBA. Yes, you have big, glamorous cities like L.A. But Miami has won, and so has San Antonio. Oklahoma City is a very successful team. They're not the biggest markets.
The truth is that Africa is like everywhere else. There are poor areas, there are rich areas, there is a middle class. Some of those areas are bigger in one country than another, and some countries have real problems that they're working through. But there's great people, good people and a small percentage of bad people - just like everywhere else.
As an NBA executive, I'm always looking for untapped potential. As a proud native of Nigeria, I believe that Africa is one of the world's greatest resources in that area.
Kids in Africa start kicking a ball when they are six or seven years old, if not younger. It's like baseball, basketball and football in America. If you're talented, people will find you. That's what happened with soccer. The number of academies has grown rapidly, and people are really into it.
Most kids in Africa don't start playing basketball until they are 13 or 14 years old. This puts them at a disadvantage because they lack the instincts and must work harder to develop the skills and habits formed at an early age.
As you can probably tell, the push to develop talent in Africa is personal. I grew up there. I played there. I know how much talent there is. We have to concentrate on building facilities, establishing successful leagues and finding investors to help young players.
Most young kids can't figure out how to shoot.
People hear 'Africa' and they think about charitable commercials, or safari tours and animals. It's our responsibility to help change that perspective.
Manute Bol was one of the guys who taught me to be bold. To be fierce. To speak intelligently, and speak like you belong.
This is my hobby. Reaching out, getting to know other people's cultures, traveling to other people's countries.
Just because someone lives in a hut, that doesn't mean that isn't a good person, that that person can't do better, that person isn't capable of being great. And just because it's a hut - whatever that means - doesn't mean it's not a home.
God doesn't put anyone someplace permanently. I am a living testimony to that.
I've spent a lot of time in the United States and Canada and I am grateful for the opportunities that I've been given by people, and the game of basketball, and the NBA.
For me, it's always been about Toronto. I love it here. My family loves it here. My wife loves it here, which is important.
Our job is to find players younger, where they are able to play from 11 years old and grow up playing the game. Rather than, you start playing when you are 17 or 18 and you don't get the opportunity to do anything with your career.
I'll always have a special place in my heart for the city of Denver and the Nuggets as an organization.
The natural thing in Africa is to start playing soccer at 8 or 9. You go outside and you play like kids play basketball here, and you grow a feel for the game. In Africa, the kids start playing basketball at 16 or 17 or 18, and when they get an opportunity to come here, they have been playing for only one or two years.
I memorized every line in Michael Jordan's 'Come Fly with Me.'
I was probably the best cherry picker in the history of African basketball. I got so many dunks, it was crazy.
You need some luck in life and I have been lucky with God's help.
I wasn't a great player, but I got a lot out of the game. I saw the world and made many lifelong friends.
Nelson Mandela saw the potential of Africa and dedicated his life to changing the world in which we live while inspiring a movement towards social justice, peace and equal human rights.
I always say in my camps in Africa, in everything we do, 'My name is Masai and I'm from Nigeria.' My name is Masai and I'm from Nigeria. It's plain and simple. If you're from La Loche or you are from Toronto you should be proud of it.
To give women more opportunity, women's empowerment is very, very close to my heart.
Every man, they say, 'oh my wife is my boss.' So why can't they be bosses at work?
Honestly... I've never felt pressure working in basketball. There's no pressure at all. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work.
We play sports to win.
Growing up in Africa, I always dreamt big.
Giants of Africa holds such a special place in my heart. It's not just another non-profit organization - this is personal. What started as a dream to give back to the country that raised me has since blossomed into an intercontinental mission to uplift youth across the diaspora, and shed light on the greatest part of Africa: its people.
Africa has proven to produce some of the greatest athletes in the world, and it's a joy to be able to help grow that talent and create a space for African youth to learn.
A player from Africa who wins championships? That's powerful.
Winning influences, it helps, it gets the kids. Winning makes an impact.
Being a good teammate means looking out for our neighbours, friends and the people we work with.
We have something very special happening in Toronto and Drake is a big part of that.
We have to make Toronto - we have to - we have to make Toronto the best atmosphere in the NBA.
Giving back to our communities is huge.
He is so true to himself, and so good to other people. Even during tough conversations, I have never worried about him. Because I know Dwane Casey is going to come back tomorrow to try to be better, and I feel the same way. I try to be better, and so I try to be like him that way.
We all have weaknesses.
We all have the things that we all have to work on, and things we have to get better at.
When I started Giants of Africa, I envisioned providing African youth access to the game and empowering them to achieve their greatest potential.
If you have a great culture and you're progressing the right way to win I think players will always want to come.
I'm nervous about everything I do with Africa. You almost want it to go good all the time, and you don't want to disappoint.
Every GM will tell you it's an instinct. It's an instinct to be patient, to react, or act, or not to do anything at all. It just comes. What I can say is you must have a plan and a goal and a way to do things. At the end of the day, it's an instinct. Sometimes it's good. Sometimes it's bad.
Everyone mentions the fact that I am the first African GM. I think it means nothing unless you impact people in Africa. That's what we're trying to try to continue to do - impact the game and make an impact on people over there.
It's a great thing that the NBA has done in Africa to develop the game.