Nearly seven weeks after Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri allegedly pushed a sheriff’s deputy and struck him in the face at Oracle Arena in Oakland, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office still hasn’t decided whether to file charges against him.
The June 13 incident, for which Ujiri is being investigated for suspicion of misdemeanor battery on an officer, occurred shortly after Toronto defeated the Golden State Warriors 114-110 in Game 6 of the NBA finals to win the NBA championship.
Ujiri, who was unknown to the deputy, tried to go onto the court at Oracle Arena but didn’t have the proper credentials, according to Alameda County sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly.
“We were told by the NBA to strictly enforce credentialing and that no one should be allowed on the court without the proper credentials to make sure everyone is safe,” Kelly said the day after the incident.
When the deputy tried to stop Ujiri from getting onto the court, the Raptors executive shoved him and the deputy pushed him back, according to Kelly.
Ujiri then shoved the deputy a second time with more force and his arm went up and struck the deputy’s face, Kelly said. According to Kelly, the deputy wasn’t significantly injured but complained of pain in his jaw.
LeBron James teams up with Drake on Uninterrupted Canada launch – SportsPro Media
“When we started Uninterrupted, it was to give athletes a platform where we could share our stories and connect with our fans in a way we never had before. And to show what we are passionate about beyond the sports we play,” said James. “It’s exciting to see that idea now leading a whole new era of athletes around the world feeling empowered to do more and be more.
“Expanding into Canada with some incredible partners puts Uninterrupted on a global scale and creates new opportunities for even more athletes and fans to be a part of what we’re building.”
The launch sees Drake, who has ties with NBA champions the Toronto Raptors, make his first move into the sports media industry. Part of Uninterrupted Canada’s initial content slate involves an exclusive first look deal with Raptors player Serge Ibaka, as well as a motivational series with New York Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman.
“Uninterrupted has been an incredible platform for athletes to tell their stories and connect with fans,” said Drake. “I’m honoured to partner with LeBron to bring Uninterrupted to Canada, a country that continuously supports innovation and creativity.”
“Uninterrupted is totally changing how athletes and fans connect,” added Adel Nur, Drake’s business partner. “Drake understood the power of what LeBron and Maverick are building and the potential to do something special in Canada where there is real understanding and love for our athletes.”
The launch is the latest sign that Uninterrupted is looking to widen its net after reports emerged last week linking James’ firm with European soccer champions Liverpool. No deal has been officially announced, but the club’s chief commercial officer Billy Hogan confirmed to Forbes that they have held talks with the company.
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Nate Robinson invites Jeremy Lin to Big3 after NBA free agency woes | SI.com
Former NBA point guard Nate Robinson has extended an invite to the Big3 League to free agent Jeremy Lin after the former Raptors guard said that he felt that “the NBA’s kind of given up on me” in an emotional speech while in Taiwan over the weekend.
“Bro I feel they gave up on me 2, but it ain’t over !!! just come to the @thebig3 we accept what the NBA dnt want !!! #holdat” Robinson wrote on Instagram.
Lin is coming off a season in which he won an NBA title with Toronto but averaged just 3.4 minutes during his eight playoff appearances and 9.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists during the regular season. He has not started more than three games since being a member of the Brooklyn Nets during the 2016-17 season.
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"On the internet people have pointed out that (Lin) seems delusional or unrealistic about his NBA stock but I saw this as the opposite actually"
Pablo on Jeremy Lin saying this NBA Free Agency period has been his "rock bottom" pic.twitter.com/OsNaPNuD8i
— HIGH NOON (@HIGHNOONonESPN) July 29, 2019
Opposing executive on what’s next for Toronto: “They’re going to know by the New Year if they are title contenders or if they should tear it all down. (Kyle) Lowry, (Marc) Gasol and (Serge) Ibaka will all have some value to contenders at the trade deadline. Might be hard to match salary, but Masai (Ujiri) will figure it out. And if there is one guy you want in charge of a rebuild, it’s him.”
Opposing player on Toronto’s season: “I’ve been there. We won a title and lost some of the key guys. It sucked. All we wanted was to run it back one more year, but we didn’t get the chance. At least this wasn’t the team’s decision, but the decision of the guys who left. Maybe that motivates the guys who are left.”
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Lowry does have some tweaks he can make to fully adapt to this new situation. For one, the Raptors will need him to replace some of the lost shooting of Green and Leonard. That duo made over 30 percent of Toronto’s threes last season, and while Lowry’s 3-point attempt rate has gradually risen over his career, the Raptors will need a boost from him to make up for that lost shooting.
While not a tweak per se, one area Lowry might need to increase his production is in his distribution. He was second in the league in assists at 8.7 per game last season and getting up to double digits is certainly on the table this year. If he can get there, those extra couple assists will be crucial for the offence.
63.9 percent of Leonard’s made shots were unassisted last season but no other player still on the roster was above 50 percent. This team just doesn’t have a ton of shot creators. While Siakam and Fred VanVleet should improve in that area, Lowry is going to have a lot on his plate to keep this a top-ten offence. Plus, considering that Russell Westbrook and James Harden are now likely to cannibalize some of each other’s assists, Lowry is probably the favourite to lead the league in assists this year.
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LeBron James Travels North for Announcement with Drake – Barrie 360Barrie 360
“When we started UNINTERRUPTED, it was to give athletes a platform where we could share our stories and connect with our fans in a way we never had before. And to show what we are passionate about beyond the sports we play. It’s exciting to see that idea now leading a whole new era of athletes around the world feeling empowered to do more and be more,” said LeBron James in a statement. “Expanding into Canada with some incredible partners puts UNINTERRUPTED on a global scale and creates new opportunities for even more athletes and fans to be a part of what we’re building.”
UNINTERRUPTED Canada will be led by CEO Scott Moore and Chief Content Officer Vinay Virmani. James said it’s about creating authentic, athlete-driven storytelling, content, events and merchandise. The company has already signed an exclusive first look deal with Toronto Raptors star Serge Ibaka and there’s a feature with now former Blue Jay Marcus Stroman, focusing on undersized athletes titled: “Height Doesn’t Measure Heart”.
Five (early) thoughts on the 2019-20 Raptors: The optimist’s view – Raptors HQ
Nick Nurse Unleashed
Taking over the Raptors in June 2018 must have been one of the oddest situations a first-time NBA coach could find himself in. After all, the team was coming off its best regular season ever, and the greatest five-year run in franchise history… and was bringing back the exact same roster. How was Nick Nurse supposed to improve on what Dwane Casey did?And then they traded for Kawhi Leonard! So now it wasn’t just high expectations, it was championship or bust.
Obviously coach Nurse did just fine. But with that championship (and its equity) under his belt, and virtually no expectations heading into 2019-20, I can’t wait to see what Nick Nurse has up his sleeve.
This is a guy who billed himself as a mad scientist, and I don’t think we saw that much of it last year. Sure, he ran out a lot of different lineups, but that was mostly due to injury, trades and load management. We did see the box-and-one in the Finals, but that was a hyper-specific situation.
Brooklyn Nets Sign Deng Adel | Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets have signed forward Deng Adel. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.
Adel (6’7, 200) appeared in 19 games (three starts) with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2018-19 season, averaging 1.7 points and 1.0 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game after signing a two-way contract on Jan. 15. Adel also appeared in 37 NBA G League games last season split between Raptors 905 (25 games) and the Canton Charge (12 games), recording averages of 12.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 31.2 minutes per contest. The 22-year-old competed for Houston’s NBA Summer League Team in Las Vegas earlier this month.
Danny Green Podcast To Be Recorded In-Studio This Week At Toronto’s Newest Creative Hub – Narcity
Toronto’s newest creative studio, Streaming at CF, is launching on Thursday, August 1st from the Eaton Centre. Danny Green will be there on the launching date at 3 pm to film his podcast, Inside The Green Room with Harrison Sanford. This comes just after the Danny Green podcast’s farewell live show at Toronto’s Rec Room on July 20th.
Danny Green stated in the press release that “YouTubers and podcasters are the new celebrities and are becoming a source of inspiration and influence for people. I can’t think of a better place to celebrate creativity and support creative growth in the community.” Despite him no longer being a Toronto Raptor, the city will always welcome him back with open arms.
