Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri was on an emotional high just seconds after his team won the NBA Championship back in 2019. As any President would, Ujiri made his way to the court to celebrate with his team, when a sheriff's deputy named Alan Strickland immediately began getting hostile. The sheriff eventually shoved Ujiri and the whole thing was caught on camera. Despite Strickland being in the wrong, he opted to file a lawsuit against Ujiri, which had been going on for the better part of a year.
Recently, Strickland decided to cancel the lawsuit, ultimately vindicating Ujiri for something he never actually did. Today, Ujiri penned a message to Raptors fans, where he explained what this all means to him, and the emotions he has faced over the past year.
"I have decided my fight isn't a legal one," Ujiri said. "Now, the challenge is this: What can we do to stop another man or women from finding themselves in front of a judge or behind bars because they committed no crime other than being Black? That is the work that each one of us must commit to, every day."
Strickland has claimed that he faced physical and emotional distress as a result of the altercation, but considering the bodycam footage is now public, it's clear that his allegations were way overblown. Now, Ujiri can rest easy knowing this is all behind him.
