The speculations about a man of Nigerian and Kenyan heritage, who only recently has been at the forefront of the historic NBA championship win by the Toronto Raptors; and is now gearing up for a supposed ‘take-over’ of the basket ball world by Africans is true.

Now, if you’re African, you might want to shake a booty or do a moonwalk at this juncture.

Masai Ujiri; the Canadian general manager and most senior on the team, who is reportedly born to a Kenyan mother and Nigerian father, and who in what most people now define as an ‘overnight success’ had brought the Raptors to the position of being the first Canadian team to win the championship, thereby beating the Golden State Warriors on a rhythm of 4-2 in the best of seven series has become the acclaimed ‘saviour’ of African basketball players residing in Africa.

Ujiri, in recent years is fast gaining status as a well-known figure in basketball development in Africa, particularly after he founded the ‘Giants of Africa’ program which recruits young African basketball talent and secures scholarships in US universities for them.

Within a short span of time, the organisation has built courts in Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa, and is working tirelessly to develop coaching talent in these areas, especially in Rwanda.

It is spreading like wild fire that Wednesday night’s victory where Cameroon’s Pascal Siakam was top scorer with 26 points, and Congo-Brazzaville’s Serge Ibaka scored 15 points; can be largely attributed to the massive support geared from the ‘Giants of Africa’ via an instagram video of kenyan fans cheering the raptors on. Our sources say that after Wednesday night’s game, Ujiri is more determined than ever to have Africans take more than a good seat in the world of international basket ball.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByqulrvhsN6/

Africa is on fire, don’t you think so? We do too.

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Lyris Okolie