HIS passion for basketball knows no bounds and the soft-spoken Masai Ujiri, who once played for the Nigerian national team, D'Tigers, never hides away from the fact that his life revolves around the slam and dunk game. As a person, Ujiri has a subtle way of executing his plans; this perhaps explains why one may never realise the amount of ideas he has on moving the game forward in Africa.Over time, his fans have described him as Nigeria's Mr Basketball largely because of the way he has continually contributed to the development of young players through his annual Top 5O, Bigman Camp and Basketball Without Borders backed by the NBA.Speaking to The Guardian recently, he said the idea behind staging basketball events was to scout for and develop players, who can play in the local league and represent their country at international competitions.'The Basketball Without Borders started in 2002 and I must say that I was eager to impress the NBA top shots, who were going to be at the inaugural edition in South Africa because the performance of the players would depend on whether the event would continue.'For Ujiri, this wasn't just any basketball camp. It held the potential to create a long-term relationship with the NBA and provide needed exposure for talented young players throughout Africa. As a Nigerian and an international scout for the Denver Nuggets, the project was both personal and professional.Ujiri played a primary role in selecting the players who would take to the court. His scouting reputation would also be at stake when a large contingent of NBA executives and coaches traveled to Johannesburg to take part in the inaugural Basketball Without Borders Africa camp.'I knew there were a lot of NBA people coming, and I was hoping we selected good enough kids. The NBA has come back every year, so the players must be doing well,' he added.The amount of talented kids in Nigeria and the continent makes Ujiri very proud. 'The continent is filled with unbelievable talent,' Ujiri said. 'There's always going to be talent. We just have to grow the game and give these kids a platform to play on. Once we do that, the leagues, infrastructure, coaches and everything else will take care of itself. The players are the least part I'm worried about.'Ujiri, who is the executive vice president of basketball operations for the Denver Nuggets, who took to basketball after ditching soccer as a kid, had always felt a sense of obligation to promote and develop basketball in Africa, where there is a lack of both facilities and coordinated programs.He has coached and managed Nigeria's senior and junior national teams and served as Basketball Without Borders' director since 2002.In addition to basketball instruction, the Basketball Without Borders Africa camp featured seminars focusing on awareness and prevention of HIV/AIDS.'There is a responsibility for me in the position that I'm in to do well for (Africa),' he said. 'I'm going to use this opportunity to spread my knowledge that I have and help these kids and coaches in any way I can.'This year's camp had an NBA contingent that included former greats such as Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo. The three big men, who combined to make 26 career All-Star appearances, attended a youth basketball clinic together in the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire) in 1994.'It was good to have them back,' Ujiri said. 'They're so well known in the continent. They're huge giants. You could tell by the look in the kids eyes that they are special.'Ujiri also continues to gain recognition and respect in his native continent. Since joining the Orlando Magic as an international scout in 2002, he has risen through the NBA ranks as an international scouting director for the Nuggets and assistant general manager for the Toronto Raptors.Ujiri is believed to be the first African-born executive vice-president of a major professional U.S. sports team, but his increased responsibilities over the past nine years have not changed his approach to developing basketball in Africa. He made four trips from Denver to Africa this summer as he helped conduct Sprite Slam camps in Kenya and Uganda.'It's been a good summer,' he said. 'Regardless of the situation, my heart always has been the same way about basketball in Africa. I absolutely love it.'He is also a strong advocate of education and he reminds players, who come to his camps, the need to pursue their education with vigour- the same way they play on the court. 'I have also told kids who come to camps I organise of the need to face their education squarely because they need to fall back on something after their playing careers.'Those who come to the annual Bigman Camp and the Top 50 in Nigeria know my stand on education. While I try to explain to them the need to do well in sports, I also explain that not everyone would excel in sports hence the need for them to also take their education seriously,' he added.He also revealed that his programmes were not meant to look for talents that would be taken to the U.S. to further their career. He explained: 'The basketball camps I hold are to expose the kids to the basics of the game. If they became stars, they can light up leagues in their various country's and if they are fortunate to be spotted by foreign scouts, they can then find their way abroad to further their careers.'The modest Ujiri is reluctant to talk about individual accomplishment and takes pains to draw attention to the team. Modesty aside, his journey to the NBA could be a template for success: humility, tenacity, persistence and finally a commitment to showing a younger generation how to chase dreams and make them reality.'I represent a continent where hope is a big thing,' he said. 'Hope and dreams are big things.'Ujiri was born in England, where his parents were studying at the time. The family moved back to its native Nigeria when he was 2; at 13 he discovered basketball and said goodbye to soccer. His dream became an obsession: to play professionally and someday reach the N.B.A.Ujiri attended a prep school in Seattle, where he stayed with a Nigerian family. He then attended junior college in Bismarck, N.D., with a friend who had told him that the team needed players. From there Ujiri went to Montana State, though he left early for a six-year pro career with B-level teams throughout Europe. It was in Denmark that Ujiri began to take stock of his life ' and his dream.'At some point, I started chasing this thing that is not there anymore,' he said.He began to read and study the N.B.A. and its front-office positions and responsibilities. He possessed an expansive knowledge of basketball in Europe and a wide array of contacts.Ujiri moved to Washington in 2002 and began attending Final Fours and camps, connecting with college coaches, who introduced him to scouts and N.B.A. personnel directors. They were impressed with his easy manner and incisive knowledge of players, where they came from and their abilities. In 2003, John Gabriel, then the Orlando Magic's general manager, began giving Ujiri scouting assignments.A year later, Kiki Vandeweghe, as the Nuggets' general manager, hired Ujiri to be an international scout. Toronto offered Ujiri a job in 2006, and a year later he was promoted to assistant general manager. When the Nuggets' basketball operations post opened last year, Kroenke asked Ujiri to fly to Denver for an interview. He was hired shortly thereafter.Ujiri has two major goals. The first is building Denver into a championship team. The second is establishing basketball in Africa.Ujiri has dedicated himself to helping other Africans follow his path. In 2003, he developed a camp in Nigeria for top young basketball players. Then he added a camp for players 6 feet 8 inches and taller. The annual Top 50 and Big Man camps have become destinations for high school, college and professional scouts.'There are a lot of good, smart kids there who just need an opportunity,' Ujiri said. 'I represent a great continent. People ask, is there pressure on me' I don't feel pressure at all. It's an unbelievable challenge for me, but I feel like I carry the weight of my continent on my shoulders. I want to help the next generation in Africa.'With his programmes, Ujiri is definitely clearing an impressive path.
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