Raptors' front office setting itself apart from the rest of the NBA
The Toronto Raptors' front office has put the rest of the NBA on notice.
The way president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster have handled everything from decorating the team's bus with a Black Lives Matter decal to the simple fact that the Raptors are one of, if not the only team to have both of its top executives inside the NBA's Orlando bubble is proving to the rest of the league just how impressive the organization truly is.
"I think the entire NBA notices what the Raptors have been doing," Raptors wing Patrick McCaw said of the organization's response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Raptors' bus decal came up on Matisse Thybulle's Welcome To The Bubble YouTube show with Philadelphia 76er's forward Tobias Harris, who said he wanted 76ers organization to do something similar.
Within the organization, Raptors players have been extremely impressed by the way things have been handled lately. Raptors wing Norman Powell said he was surprised and amazed when he first saw the team's bus before departing to Orlando.
"Those are the type of little things that show where we stand," Powell said.
Even Webster and Ujiri's presence in Orlando hasn't been missed by the Raptors players. Webster said the decision to enter the bubble was an easy one because both he and Ujiri wanted to be with the team, supporting their players and having important conversations with players face-to-face.
"More than anything else we're in this together," Webster said. "They know that they obviously have our full support, but just experiencing this with them I think is invaluable."
That's been the case for Powell, who said Webster and Ujiri have been committed to ensuring everyone is able to get their message out and has proper support within the organization.
"We've preached that it's a family organization and you can really tell," Powell said.
