Masai Ujiri Says Fight Against California Sheriff's Deputy Isn't A Legal One

Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri says he will continue to fight for social justice outside the court room

Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri may not be continuing his legal fight for justice against Alameda County sheriff's deputy Alan Strickland, but his fight for justice and change will continue outside of the courts.

Ujiri and Strickland had been involved in a two-year-long legal battle stemming from an altercation following the Raptors 2019 NBA championship in Oakland. As Ujiri tried to join his team on the court Strickland, who was acting as security for the event appeared to repeatedly shove Ujiri stopping him from immediately joining the celebration. Strickland filed charges of assault against Ujiri, but months after video evidence appeared to vindicate Ujiri, Strickland dropped the charges last week, KTVU's Lisa Fernandez reported.

On Monday, Ujiri released a statement saying he is grateful for support from MLSE and will continue to fight for social change so that incidents like his do not happen to others.

In a subsequently released video, Ujiri said he is thinking bigger than just Strickland and the incident in Oakland. 

"We have to make it better. We have to fight, and we have to stand up, and we have to speak up,” he said.

“We have to make it better. We have to fight, and we have to stand up, and we have to speak up.”

- Masai Ujiri pic.twitter.com/na7Ba6HyUm

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 15, 2021

On Thursday, MLSE announced a new four-pronged program to fight for social change and create more opportunities for minority groups including Black, Indigenous, persons of colour, women, LGBTQ2S+, and persons with disabilities. The organization aims to raise over $30 million over the next four years to fight against social barriers and empower marginalized communities.