Raptors president Masai Ujiri joins extensive list of sports figures named to Order of Canada

Masai Ujiri is an officer of the Order of Canada.

The Raptors president and MLSE vice chair was announced Friday as a member of this year’s prestigious group of 85 individuals who received the coveted commendation from Gov. Gen. Mary Simon.

The award, widely regarded as one of the highest honours for Canadian civilians, is meant to recognize individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the country.

In a release announcing the appointments, the Governor General’s office noted Ujiri was receiving the accolade “for his contributions on and off the basketball court, as a humanitarian and an NBA president.”

Ujiri, 52, is considered one of the best executives in the NBA. He was the first African-born official to become the general manager in American professional sports when he joined the Denver Nuggets front office in 2010.

Three years later he would return to Toronto in 2013 and embark on an extraordinary transformation of the Raptors franchise, leading the team to its most successful 10-year run that peaked in 2019 with its first ever NBA championship.

Outside the NBA, Ujiri is well-known for advocating for social causes and his extensive work on empowering women and the youth. His non-profit organization, Giants Of Africa, uses basketball as a vehicle to transform young people’s lives and give them perspectives to work toward a brighter future.

The Order of Canada is offered every year since 1967 under three categories: companions (the highest level, of which only 165 living individuals must have it at a time), officers and members.

Ujiri was honoured into the officers category, alongside other outstanding individuals such as Juno award-winning singer-songwriter Andy Kim, and Indigenous author and university professor Jeannette Armstrong.

He joins a distinguished group of Canadians in the sports industry to receive the appointment, including former women’s tennis association CEO Stacey Allaster and women’s hockey pioneer Angela James.

Other sports figures who’ve been previously honoured with the Order of Canada include Sidney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky, Karina LeBlanc, Scott Moir, Donovan Bailey, Mark Tewksbury, Colleen Jones and Terry Fox.

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