TORONTO -- Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri is urging everyone, from world leaders down, to have strong conversations about race as a way forward from racial tensions across Canada and the United States.
In an interview with CTV National News Chief News Anchor and Senior Editor Lisa LaFlamme on Monday, Ujiri stressed the need for conversation as protests escalate across the United States in response to the killing of George Floyd, who died at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis, Minn.
鈥淚t鈥檚 time for us to talk,鈥� Ujiri said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 time for us to say what鈥檚 on our minds, and I don鈥檛 know why it has gotten to this and all of us are to blame that we鈥檝e let it come to this.鈥�
Protesters have been taking to the streets around the world in the wake of Floyd鈥檚 death, in which a police officer pressed against his neck for more than eight minutes, while three other officers stood by. The incident was caught on camera.
鈥淲hen I saw that video, Lisa, I don鈥檛 know how those policemen can actually watch,鈥� Ujiri said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 broad daylight murder. That鈥檚 murder and those three guys there have to be held accountable for that too.鈥�
The three officers were fired, while Derek Chauvin, the officer holding his knee against Floyd鈥檚 neck, has been charged with third-degree murder. On Monday, a medical examiner classified Floyd鈥檚 death as a homicide, adding that his heart stopped as police compressed his neck.
Ujiri said the Floyd鈥檚 death has become 鈥減olarized鈥� because of 鈥渂ad leadership,鈥� but when asked about U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 response to the crisis, he turned his attention to other leaders.
鈥淚鈥檓 more focused on other leaders talking, other leaders standing up, because we鈥檝e heard the same thing over and over again,鈥� he said. 鈥淢ore people have to come out and talk about what he鈥檚 doing. People have to come out and do it. We have to do it. If not, where is it going to go?鈥�
鈥淎ll leaders have to speak, especially white leaders. That鈥檚 the honest truth because we鈥檙e all in positions where we can influence, where we change things, where we can come out and talk about it without being scared.鈥�
UJIRI鈥橲 EXPERIENCE WITH POLICE
Ujiri said he is now rethinking his own experiences with police officers.
Last June, Ujiri was involved in an altercation with an officer while he was trying to get on the court following Toronto鈥檚 Game 6 victory in the NBA Finals. Ujiri said the officer -- identified as a 20-year veteran of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office -- stopped him 鈥渁ggressively鈥� from joining the team on the court following the team鈥檚 championship win.
Ujiri said at the time, he didn鈥檛 think the altercation had anything to do with race, but he鈥檚 since had a chance to think about what transpired and he does think there may have been some racism involved.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 talk about it much, but after everything that鈥檚 gone on, yes, I do ask that question that if it was somebody white would he have been stopped,鈥� he said.
Still, Ujiri stresses that his incident pales in comparison to what Floyd鈥檚 family is going through.
鈥淲e shouldn鈥檛 even talking about this. It doesn鈥檛 even compare to what happened to these people,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 lost a moment, it鈥檚 gone. We鈥檒l win another championship and I鈥檒l find that moment. That guy is gone, (his) family lost somebody. They lost somebody. That鈥檚 not right.鈥�
