Ujiri hired as president of NBA's Mavericks / Photo: MARK BLINCH - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
-
North Korea fires 'around a dozen' ballistic missiles into East Sea
-
Miami Heat earn first win of NBA season with Antetokounmpo
-
Brewers catcher Contreras named World Series MVP
-
Brewers beat Rays 4-1 to capture first World Series title
-
Asian stock markets fluctuate after mixed tech results
-
Philippine island fights rising seas with nature, not concrete
-
Samsung logs record quarterly profits despite investor AI jitters
-
Bangladesh presses India before Ganges water treaty expires
-
Miami stumble to draw against Cincinnati despite Suarez strike
-
Trump accuses Alaska Democrats of fraud over same-name scandal
-
Bangladesh scrambling as Ganges water treaty to expire
-
Spain mourns after latest train tragedy kills 68
-
England in peril with Rugby League World Cup semi spots at stake
-
Trump's border: quiet, but few people are happy
-
Antonelli ready to rewrite the Formula One record books in Mexico
-
Australian defence chief says China military buildup creating 'pressure' in SE Asia
-
EU, Canada to build 'new chapter' in alliance at Montreal summit
-
Storm Preparedness: The Equipment Worth Investing In
-
No penalty practice? No problem for Man City in shoot-out win
-
Argentine football fan jailed for threats over Di Maria return
-
Microsoft beats expectations fueled by Azure cloud business
-
Liverpool beat Chelsea in League Cup shoot-out, Man City survive scare
-
Chelsea win as Bayern draw with Madrid in Women's Champions League
-
Inter leave it late again in Serie A as AC Milan, Juventus lose
-
Kane watches as Bayern cruise into German Cup last 16
-
Shares in Google owner Alphabet plummet on profit miss, ad slowdown
-
Bayern boss Kompany out of hospital after meningeal irritation
-
Putin hails Elon Musk as 'truly a genius'
-
Shares in Google owner Alphabet sink on profit miss, ad slowdown
-
US stocks eye big tech earnings as Fed holds rates steady
-
Chelsea win as Bayern and Madrid draw in Women's Champions League
-
US Fed holds interest rates steady despite 'too high' inflation
-
Made with munitions from the Falklands War, a 'Chalice of Peace' for the pope
-
Rwanda cannot be blamed for what happens in DR Congo, FM says
-
Pioneering US labor leader Dolores Huerta dies at 96
-
Inter leave it late again in Serie A as Bologna sink AC Milan
-
Italian PM slams 'shameful' release of alleged protest organiser
-
Bolsonaro's escape to the US: How it happened
-
Hollywood producer Kennedy to head LA28 Olympic ceremony plans
-
Russell calls on Scotland to 'kick on' and beat big teams
-
Djokovic wins Basel opener to boost ATP Finals bid
-
Airbus aims for record deliveries despite disappointing quarter
-
US Fed holds interest rates steady despite surging inflation
-
Cuba wins UN vote against US embargo with weakest backing in 30 years
-
Chiefs sign ex-Ravens kicker suspended over sex allegations
-
Real Madrid, La Liga apology over Mbappe shows power of Chinese market
-
Inglis and Carey put Australia in command of South Africa decider
-
From Gaza to Ramallah, Palestinians see little hope in Israeli vote
-
92-year-old US judge handling Maduro case dies
-
US labor leader Dolores Huerta dead: family
Ujiri hired as president of NBA's Mavericks
Masai Ujiri was named president of the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, given the task of leading a revival of a club that reached the NBA Finals in 2024.
Ujiri will oversee all aspects of basketball operations for the Mavericks, including roster moves and scouting, to revamp a team that went 26-56 and missed the playoffs for the second year in a row.
"The Dallas Mavericks are committed to being a world-class organization with a strong culture and focused on winning championships," Mavericks co-owner Patrick Dumont said in announcing the move.
"Masai Ujiri is one of the great basketball leaders of this generation and his addition to our franchise is a critical step in meeting our goals."
Ujiri, 55, was born in England to Kenyan and Nigerian parents and grew up in Nigeria. He moved to the United States to follow his dream to play basketball and spent a decade playing professionally in Europe.
He served as an international scout for the Denver Nuggets before being hired by the Toronto Raptors in 2008 as assistant general manager.
In 2010, he returned to Denver as general manager, the first African to hold such a role in a major US professional sport, and in 2013 was named NBA Executive of the Year.
Ujiri became executive vice president and general manager of the Raptors in 2013 and took over as team president in 2016. The Raptors won the 2019 NBA title and Ujiri stayed for 12 years in all until splitting with the club last June.
"I'm honored to join the Dallas Mavericks and step into this role at such an important time for the organization," Ujiri said. "This is a franchise with a proud history, passionate fans, and a commitment to winning.
"I look forward to working with our players, coaches and leadership team to build something that reflects that standard and competes at the highest level. We will win in Dallas."
Despite the efforts of NBA Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg, the Mavericks suffered their worst season since 2017-18 and Nico Harrison was fired as president and general manager in November, replaced on an interim basis by Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi.
"We welcome (Ujiri's) energy and determination along with his leadership, experience and many accomplishments as a basketball executive," Dumont said. "We are very excited about the future of our team."
Y.Kobayashi--AMWN
