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Andrew LopezESPN
The Toronto Raptors met Tuesday as a team to watch new video clips showing the change of team president Masai Ujiri with a sheriff’s deputy from the San Francisco area in the moments after the team won the NBA Finals last year.
The footage, which was recorded in a countersuit submitted by Ujiri on Tuesday, shows substitute Alan Strickland grabbing Ujiri, shaking him and telling him to return “the f — up” if Ujiri tries on ‘ to come to court to celebrate The victory of title at clinch in Toronto at Oracle Arena. It also shows that Ujiri “did not react aggressively” towards Strickland, according to the countersuit.
Raptors guard Fred VanVleet said he spoke to Ujiri about the meeting and stressed that the entire Raptors franchise has been behind Ujiri from the beginning.
VanVleet said the change underscores why players in the NBA have been fighting for social justice since they were in Orlando, Florida.
“It’s hard play,” VanVleet said Wednesday after the team’s 104-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets. “Of course we are all privileged, and Masai is pretty privileged in his world, and you just stop and think about how good we are, because there are people who will be walking along the street in the same situation. who do not have the money to fight the case, who do not have 20,000 people in the stands and do not have the means to counter.How many times do cops do such things without the body cam on, without arenas? difficult situation.
“It’s just crazy to see how things work. It’s sad, and I think that’s why we’re all in the situation and fighting for social justice and equality, because you see how fast things can get ugly. be just by someone’s word or one bad cop or a bunch of bad cops – if the system is a bit crooked, and it’s not designed for us. “
Raptors guard Norman Powell said the Ujiri change with the replacement “speaks to what is happening now.” He said he was glad there were body camera recordings to support Ujiri’s story.
“I’m glad we were able to get to the real underline, and everyone can see what really happened,” Powell said after the Raptors’ win Wednesday. “It’s exactly what we are fighting for: for justice to serve for those politicians who take the law a little into their own hands. We saw it as a team. We are very open and passionate about social justice.
“I’m just really happy that the video came out, and everyone saw it, and Masai is able to delete his name and what people said about him and the whole way things went downhill. It’s exactly where it is.” t we fought for.We I will continue to take up that fight [get rid of] the bad apples in the police force. “
The Strickland lawsuit, filed in February, alleges that Ujiri attacked him and that as a result of the incident “he suffered injuries to his body, health, strength, activity and person, all of which have caused and continue to cause of complaining mental, emotional, psychological, physical, and nervous pain and suffering. “
Ujiri’s countersuit, which includes the Raptors, the NBA and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment as plaintiffs, says Strickland falsified the meeting and tried to portray Ujiri as “the initial aggressor and an inherently violent individual.” It calls Strickland’s account “a complete fabrication” that is contradicted by video images.
Raptors coach Nick Nurse, speaking for Wednesday’s game, called the incident “disappointing” and said it was devastating what must have been a night of pure celebration for Ujiri.
“Well, I think in this particular case – well, not just this particular case, but a lot of instances – people are making accusations, making assumptions, throwing the guilty thing at a lot of people,” Nurse said. “I think in the world, especially of social media and all this kind of stuff, there is a lot of just plain-out indecent behavior towards people when they do not know the truth, and I find it all really disappointing and disappointing to be honest. to be.”
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