Masai Ujiri will spend the run-up to NBA training camps expanding his global horizons on another of his passions.
The former president and vice-chair of the Raptors has been appointed a sustainable development goal advocate by United Nations secretary Ant贸nio Guterres, the group announced Thursday.
The UN initiative recognizes 鈥渢hat ending poverty must go hand in hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs, including education, health, social protection and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection,鈥 its website says.聽
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The UN General Assembly meets Sept. 23 in聽New聽York. The sustainable goals development advocates group is chaired by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and includes elected leaders, philanthropists and business leaders from around the world.
“Joining the SDG advocates is a tremendous honour, and I’m excited to be part of a global movement that empowers youth and drives meaningful change around the world,鈥 Ujiri said in a statement put out by his Giants of Africa foundation.
During his 13-year tenure with the Raptors, which concluded with his ouster in June, Ujiri was deeply involved in societal issues away from the sport through his charitable foundation.
Giants of Africa just wrapped up its 2025 festival in Rwanda that brought together more than 300 young African athletes in what was a mix of basketball, fashion, music and culture.
Ujiri, as its executive director, will be involved in the debut of the documentary series 鈥淥rigin: The Story of the Basketball Africa League鈥 at TIFF in early September.
Doug Smith is a sports reporter based in 色色啦. Follow him on
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