Members from around the Mavericks organization had good things to say about the new boss.
The character traits were just as important as the credentials for team governor Patrick Dumont in his search for the Dallas Mavericks' next president of basketball operations.
After officially being introduced as the new boss, it seems that Dumont found both in Masai Ujiri.
Nico Harrison was fired from the position in November, and in the time since, it had become clear that the Mavs wanted to prioritize inspiring organizational communication in their next leader.
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Ujiri, a former executive of the year and an NBA champion, is exactly that. Just ask Mavs legend Rolando Blackman, who will represent the team at this weekend's NBA Draft lottery.
"I’ve been around Masai for a long, long time,” Blackman said to Mavs.com. "I remember when we were doing Basketball Without Borders in Africa, I just remember what he did, and I was able to see as I was here as the director of basketball development during that time for the Dallas Mavericks, working with [Mavs coach] Don Nelson and also later on with [Mavs coach] Avery Johnson.
“The important thing is you knew and understood that, as I was always around Masai, he was someone who was very, very mentally eclectic and understood what he wanted to get accomplished and had the personality that would inspire people to be able to know and understand that there’s someone at the helm that can get the job done."
Ujiri, a native of Nigeria, has shown his personality best in philanthropic work in his home continent. In 2003, he founded the talent discovery program Giants of Africa. He was the director of the Basketball Without Borders program that promotes the sport continent-wide, and once he got his start in the NBA as a scout, he previously made trips back to his local communities.
In 2019, he launched an activism platform titled "Humanity." It's defined through answering one manifesto: "What does humanity mean to you?"
Ujiri, 55, is now back in an NBA front office after being away from the league this past season following his decade-plus stint with the Toronto Raptors ending. He's carried his personality and leadership to his new team.
"I’m just happy they invited someone to the family," Mavs center Dereck Lively II said. "He seems like a great guy. I just can’t wait to learn more about him, learn more about his persona and what he’s thinking."
As it relates to basketball, there's no question that Ujiri - like many in discussing the Mavericks - has visions for building the team around teenage sensation Cooper Flagg. The executive mentioned how he aims to turn Flagg into the "king" that Luka Doncic once was in Dallas before he was traded by the previous administration.
But for Dumont, the key traits were clear. He needed a dedicated individual to carry the torch toward the franchise's future.
"I think it was really important to find the right person, and when someone like Masai is available, that’s the first call," Dumont said about first reaching out to the candidate. "And I think for me it was really important to get to know him. I talked about it before – shared values, common vision. We definitely had that, and then the rest is history..."
"He’s known to do great charitable work in Africa, he’s known to recruit great players worldwide, and he has a championship pedigree and he’s now with the Dallas Mavericks’ family."
