Ujiri fined $35,000, apologises

Masai Ujiri

The Raptors general manager, Masai Ujiri, has been fined US$35,000 for “using obscene language in a public setting” at a fan rally on Saturday before Toronto hosted Washington in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoff series.

The Raptors organisation has been fined an additional US$25,000.

The Nigerian used an expletive when addressing fans prior to Saturday’s tipoff against Washington.

“People want me to say something about Paul Pierce but, we don’t give a (expletive) about ‘it’,” Ujiri told a cheering crowd outside the Air Canada Centre in an area dubbed Jurassic Park.

Ujiri was referring to the Wizards veteran who earlier this week told ESPN he wasn’t concerned about the Raptors because “I don’t feel they have the ‘it’ that makes you worried.”

Ujiri later apologised Sunday night for the remarks.

“I have the deepest respect for commissioner Silver and the NBA, and while showing passion for our team and fans I will choose my words more carefully in the future so as not to indicate otherwise,” Ujiri said.

“I apologise and have acknowledged the fine with the commissioner. I consider the matter closed and our sole focus is on the playoffs.”

The incident comes a year after Ujiri was fined $25,000 by the NBA for ending a speech by pairing an f-bomb with Brooklyn prior to the club’s post-season opening game against the Nets.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver was at Saturday’s game in Toronto, which the Wizards won 93-86 in overtime.

Ujiri, a former small forward/guard for the Nigeria national team became the first African to manage an NBA team when he was named the Denver Nuggets GM before he made a return to Toronto as their GM last season. He played at the 1997 Senegal Afro Basket in which Nigeria finished as runners-up to the host country.