Shoving Match Could Get Ugly for Raptors Prez

Masai Ujiri got into it with a sheriff's deputy after the big game
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 15, 2019 10:30 AM CDT
Raptors President Might Face Battery Charge
This Thursday, June 13, 2019, photo shows Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri, center left, walking with guard Kyle Lowry after the Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals in Oakland, Calif.   (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

On the upside, the Toronto Raptors won the NBA championship. On the downside, the team's president may face charges for allegedly assaulting a sheriff's deputy Thursday after the championship victory, the CBC reports. Seems Raptors president Masai Ujiri tried to get on the Oakland court after the Raptors edged out the Golden State Warriors 114-110. That's when he encountered a deputy who didn't recognize him: "Our deputy pushed the man back and told him he couldn't go onto the court," says Sgt. Ray Kelly of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office. "At that point, the gentleman pushed our deputy again, and during that push his arm struck our deputy in the jaw." The deputy later complained on pain in his jaw.

The whole encounter lasted under a minute and ended with Raptors guard Kyle Lowry ushering Ujiri onto the court. As authorities gather eyewitness and video evidence, a bystander tells his version of events: Ujiri "didn't hit him in the face, he shoved him in the chest," Warriors fan Greg Wiener tells CNN. "He was excited his team just won, he wanted to get on the court." The season-ticket holder also says Ujiri had a credential but didn't raise it before the deputy shoved him, per USA Today. But it's unclear whether Ujiri was wearing the gold armband for those allowed in the post-game celebration. County prosecutors say they expect to be presented with evidence sometime next week. (More basketball stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X