OverDrive - Green on Ujiri's conclusion in Toronto, the bond in his career and the influence for the franchise

Episode Date: June 27, 2025

ESPN NBA Analyst and Former NBAer Danny Green joined OverDrive to discuss the Raptors parting ways with Masai Ujiri, his experience with Ujiri, the strong bond in his tenure in Toronto, how influential he is to the league, his legacy across Canada, Cooper Flagg's role with the Mavericks and more.

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The station that champions Canadian music. Loud, proud, and all yours. No passports required. Just press play. Tap into Made in Canada now on iHerb radio.ca or the free iHeart radio app See him on ESPN obviously had a decorated career in the NBA Danny Green joining us on over Jive. How are you Danny? Good, I'm good. How you guys doing? Great to have you on especially with your relationship with the Raptors and with Masai Jerry

And we're just trying to unpack what has been massive news for I wouldn't even say the city I would say the sport in all of Canada. So let's just get your reaction to Masai You Jerry who's out now as president of the Toronto Raptors Yeah, I was a little shocked by it man as you were saying and explaining how big of important piece he was and stapled to the country of Canada and the Toronto Raptors. And he's done so many great things and was in the midst of making some good moves to turn it around.

So, I mean, I know he's been there for a long time and it seemed like his tenure was coming towards the end, but it seemed a little bit abrupt for it to happen like right now, but yeah, he's been amazing, man. Everybody loved him. He was a player, you know, type of guy. All the coaches loved him, you know, staffer in office and, um, But yeah, he's been amazing, man. Everybody loved him. He was a player, you know, type of guy. All the coaches loved him, you know, staff front office. And, um, you know, he was the type of guy that said you could trust him to turn some things around

and recruit some big time players to be there. So I was a little shocked by it. Danny put that perspective a little bit more elaborately, if you would. I mean, you, you've obviously been in the trenches as a championship player for multiple franchises. Now you're working in the media. What is the overriding perception of Masai Ujiri in the wider world of the NBA? I think the perception is that people love him and they want him.

I think he'll have a pretty good pick of the litter of where he wants to go next. That's what I'm assuming anyway. A lot of people, his influence, they respect it. They value it. I think he's very valuable piece. So I think whoever is looking for a front office person, I think he'll be top of the list. You know, take us a little bit behind the curtain as far as, you know, your first maybe interactions with Masai Yujiri and, you know, what you took away from those experiences.

I mean, the first question was the press conference you know it was great he welcomed me open arms me and Kawhi and uh you know he made us feel at home and I only spent one year there but it's a place I can call home because of him and Bobby Marks like you know you know Bobby has done a great job as well of making things easy and comfortable so those two guys have really of making things easy and comfortable. So those two guys have really made me why I feel at home and embrace. Danny Green joining us on Overdrive. Danny, you talked about his ability to recruit players.

So how does the perception of the Toronto Raptors change today following this news? Say that again, I'm sorry. Just how does the perception of the Toronto Raptors throughout the league, whether it's players, whether it's other executives, change following the news that Masai Ujiri is out? I don't know if it's as much of a desired destination. Obviously the city is amazing, the people are amazing there, but without Masai there it's hard.

I think it's going to be a little tough unless they get somebody to replace him that's just as good or not better to recruit those type of guys. But with Masai there, you know He was big and and and beyond boarders of basketball and NBA Africa So he could recruit guys from those parts of the areas and certain different foreign players like a Yannis Antetokounmpo So it's gonna be tougher to try to get those type of players or lower them there without Masai being there Danny, I mean that they've talked about hiring a search firm to find a replacement for miss i a jury

i mean at that level of you know you can't is there anybody that pops to mind that they should be targeting or or should they poach an executive from another team or these tried to how would you approach it if you had to replace a guy is indispensable and as you point out as influential as a Messiah or Jerry? Yeah, that nobody comes to mind that's free. You're gonna have to try to approach somebody like what the Knicks are doing. You're gonna have to try to go to front office with you know and Rosson or Danny Aves in Utah. You have to go somewhere that people make good decisions you know. It's gonna be

hard to replace that type of guy. You talked about the you know the difficulty that it could be as far as recruiting players. And Masai was always aggressive. And I think as a player, sometimes you really, if you're on the team, you appreciate that because you're like this guy's willing to do everything that it possibly takes to win. How did you take that, I guess mindset that Masai had? Did you appreciate that as a player?

Very much so yeah I mean he did what was necessary and if it wasn't for that I probably wouldn't have been there because You probably kept the team together and tried to win with the guys that they had But you know he took a chance and taking a risk on a guy like who I and myself Not knowing that we might not be there for a long ten years after that year But thought it would be worth it to get a championship and trading tomorrow. So you know for him to you know have the guts to do something like that just shows you you know how aggressive the risk-taking is that he's what he's

willing to put on the line to make you know winning happen. Well it's a certainly a new era for the Toronto Raptors moving forward and we haven't even hit officially free agency, but we just wrapped up the draft and Danny obviously to no surprise Cooper Flagg went first overall to the Dallas Mavericks and it's not a typical situation for a number one pick as he joins the team that just two years ago went to the finals. They have Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving is expected to return from his injury in the second half of the year. How close now are the Mavs to where the Thunder are, or at least where the elite teams of the Western Conference are, given that they've just drafted a guy who people have labeled as a generational talent?

Very close, and they are an elite team, when healthy, at full strength. But they have to get there. We have to see Kyrie come back. They do need some depth at the point guard position so we'll see what they do when that happens but they're very close to being a top team because of the front court that they have with the size and the length. Adding Cooper flag to that you know Anthony Davis, Lively, Gaffer, PJ Washington they have such an abundance of great bodies at that position which makes you do you think that the legal at full strength is very very uh... and very healthy very dangerous and uh... are contender but they have to get there

daniel now i guess one of my side is last axis team president there the raptors select uh... colin murray boils with the uh... ninth overall picking yet interesting reaction at reaction that the ESPN cameras picked up appeared to mow the next put to the sort of shake his head. I don't know how you interpreted that what would you make of it? I mean I think he further explained that it was part of his excitement but I don't know what the reaction was maybe it was something he forgot you know because draft day is kind of like I want to say like a wedding day where it's something

you know from the lower only did you forget something happened to be forgot something for you on stage and i'm hoping but he did a little excitement so we'll see i mean how you and break great that he did a lot and you know your first reaction

what you can interpret wrongly when you get the camera. Well and I don't know if Ace Bailey's any happier going to Utah and much was made of the fact that he didn't go through the workouts and that there are particular teams that he wanted to play for and we've heard whether it's former players or current players be very vocal about how he's approaching the start of his pro career If you had a sit down with him, what would your advice be for a guy like Ace Bailey? Be professional man and keep it at what it is what you say it is, you know Let your actions match your words you come in here

It's just about basketball and you want to play basketball Do that regardless of what what team drafts you or where you don't want to be, come in and do your job, be professional, and don't be entitled, man. It's a blessing to be in this league and have an opportunity to play in this league and make some money because nobody's bigger than a game of basketball, and as fast as you got in,

it's as fast as you can get out. So enjoy, embrace it, and be professional. I think that's a message that resonates with pretty much every fan of this league and with a lot of players throughout the league as well. Danny, on a day like today, it's great to have you on to get your perspective on not just the NBA draft, but obviously the news that Masai Jerry's out as president. We appreciate you coming on and all the best moving forward. Appreciate you guys, man. Thank you. There you have it. Danny Green, former Raptor. The biggest songs in the world.

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