Ujiri, NBA legends honour late Mandela with 'The Giant of Africa'

Sporting the best record in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors have charged to the top of the standings on the strength of truly inspired team basketball. In the hours before arguably their toughest test yet against LeBron James and the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers at the ACC on Friday night, the organization took time to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela, the personal inspiration of the man at the helm, Raptors General Manager Masai Ujiri.

Marking the first anniversary of Mandela’s passing, The Giant of Africa presented by Bell was a pre-game celebration of the late former South African President and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Funds raised by the event will support both the Nelson Mandela Foundation and Giants of Africa, a not-for-profit organization founded by Ujiri in 2003 to continue to educate and enrich the lives of African youth.

As he stepped to the front of the packed house gathered in the team's transformed upper level practice court (which had been rapidly transformed into a red carpet event space for the occasion), the first African-born General Manager in NBA history promised to refrain from firing up the crowd in advance of the impending game, recounting instead the way that meeting Mandela changed his life.

Ujiri went on to share his personal reflections on Mandela's legacy, saying, "I don't know where the world is going, but Mandela made the world a better place. And even though he's passed, he is going to continue to grow. Through whether it was poverty, diseases, or injustice, Nelson Mandela is a man that stood for us, and the world needs that. The world deserves that."

The GM's address was a prelude to a panel discussion moderated by TSN’s James Duthie featuring the evening's celebrity guests: a trio of NBA legends in Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, and Dikembe Mutombo, along with UN Goodwill Ambassador and 1999 Miss Universe winner Mpule Kwelagobe.

Much of the panel discussion revolved around the guests' personal memories of meeting Mandela, as well as his lifelong determination to create hope and encourage global harmony.

"For me it was a dream come true to meet someone who lifted the world up, taught us so much, inspired me to do what I do every day: look after my people on the continent of Africa. I learned all those lessons from this great man," said Mutombo. "It was a group of 14 of us, we had many NBA officials there, and the person he called the name of was 'Mutombo!!!'"

The NBA legends also touched on the Raptors' remarkable run so far this season.

After Barkley complimented Toronto, calling the city "a clean New York," Johnson commended the team for being a reflection of the tenacity of their GM, and built the case for the Raptors to find success going forward.

"They're a real team, and all they have to do now is build on what happened last season in the playoffs. You always have to gauge yourself on the best, you use that as a barometer to [measure], 'Okay, where are we against Cleveland, Chicago, Washington?"

"And," Johnson added to the roar of the crowd, "the fan base is crazy. That arena last year in the playoffs was one of the loudest arenas I've ever seen."

Other notable guests at the event included Raptors alumnus Tracy McGrady, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jonathan Bernier, Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan, TIFF Artistic Director Cameron Bailey, Toronto Argos legend Michael “Pinball” Clemons, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, and Amadou Fall, Vice President of NBA Africa.

In conjunction with the evening’s theme, limited edition The Giant of Africa t-shirts were sold by the Toronto Raptors Store powered by Real Sports Apparel, with proceeds supporting Giants of Africa. The shirts display messages inspired by Mandela’s five pillars: being a leader, fighting for freedom, creating a better future, committing to the community, and using sport to inspire change.