What is Masai Ujiri’s Role at United Nations? Everything About Ex-Raptors Exec’s New Job

Masai Ujiri, the architect behind the Toronto Raptors’ first-ever NBA championship in 2019, has stepped away from the high-stakes courtside life — but not from influence. The Nigerian-born executive, once celebrated for bold trades and strategic vision, is now stepping into a new arena: the global stage of the United Nations.

Who is Masai Ujiri?

Masai Ujiri, born in Bournemouth, England, and raised in Zaria, Nigeria, is a former professional basketball player turned executive and the architect behind the Toronto Raptors’ historic 2019 championship. Celebrated for his bold trades and strategic vision, he rose from an NBA scout to Denver Nuggets GM and later served as President of the Raptors. Now, the humanitarian and global leader known for blending sport with social impact is stepping into a new arena: the international stage of the United Nations.

This isn’t a ceremonial shift. It’s a promise of broader impact. Ujiri has championed youth empowerment through sports for years, creating opportunities for thousands across Africa. His appointment at the UN signifies a chance to scale that work even further, with a platform far beyond basketball.

Masai Ujiri’s New Role at the UN

Ujiri joins the UN as an Advocate, focusing on youth empowerment, sports diplomacy, and peace-building. His role will directly support the UN’s Sustainable Development Group (SDG), emphasizing education and inclusive development.

Rather than a ceremonial ambassadorial title, Ujiri’s work will involve shaping initiatives, advising on policy frameworks, and forging partnerships between governments, NGOs, and private organizations. The aim: to turn sports infrastructure into a vehicle for opportunity and stability.

His Global Footprint

In 2003, Ujiri founded Giants of Africa, a foundation active in 17 African countries. The initiative has run over 200 basketball camps and clinics, distributed over 20,000 pairs of shoes, and delivered life-skills and leadership programs to tens of thousands of young people.

In 2023, he launched Zaria Group and its flagship project Zaria Court in Kigali, Rwanda; a multi-purpose urban development covering 20,000 square meters, integrating sports facilities, retail, hospitality, and cultural spaces. The project is designed to create over 500 direct jobs and serve as a blueprint for sport-driven urban ecosystems across the continent.

His NBA career also mirrored this global ethos. Ujiri started as an Orlando scout and eventually became the director of Global Scouting for Toronto in 2008, later becoming the Denver Nuggets’ GM in 2011. He won NBA Executive of the Year in 2013 after the team won 57 games. He eventually returned to Toronto to deliver the Raptors their historic 2019 title while expanding programs like Basketball Without Borders Africa.

Why This Role Matters

For the United Nations, Ujiri’s appointment is strategic. His reputation bridges worlds: the elite sports industry and grassroots youth initiatives. Sports diplomacy is increasingly recognized as a tool for conflict resolution, community development, and education, particularly in regions with high youth populations and limited infrastructure.

Combining his credibility in both arenas, Ujiri offers the UN a way to channel attention, funding, and expertise into programs that deliver measurable outcomes: from increasing school attendance to fostering entrepreneurship through sport.

What’s Next for Masai Ujiri?

Looking ahead, Ujiri is expected to leverage his platform to expand Giants of Africa, scale Zaria Court’s model across other nations, and shape UN-backed initiatives that align sport with peace-building and gender equality. His ability to attract major partners, from corporate sponsors to international agencies, could define whether sports diplomacy becomes a flagship UN strategy rather than a peripheral experiment.

This marks an evolution of his legacy for basketball fans: not just the executive who brought a championship to Toronto, but the leader now using that same strategic playbook to empower an entire generation.