Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri is being accused by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office of shoving and striking an officer in the face after he was stopped from coming onto the court to join the team's NBA Finals celebration at the Oracle Arena. According to reports, the officer stopped the Raptors executive from entering the court because he wasn't able to provide his credentials when he was asked to, which then led to the altercation.
However, there was one witness that came to Ujiri's defense. Greg Weiner, a season ticket holder for the Golden State Warriors, told USA Today that he was three inches away from the incident. He said the cop didn't follow the standard protocol and just pushed Masai back without saying anything.
“(Ujiri) had (his credential) in his hand and his hand was down by his side,” he said. “It looked like he was trying to get it up. As Ujiri came forward, the cop stepped forward and put his hand on his chest and basically said, ‘Nobody can go past this point.' He just stopped him. Ujiri didn't say anything, he didn't get his badge up, then the cop kind of pushed him back, then Ujiri shoved him. I mean, hard.
” … The thing that I'm pushing back on is where they're saying that the cop asked for his credentials. Yeah, he didn't ask. … There was no conversation at all.”
Weiner also said that he didn't see Masai Ujiri strike the officer in the face and that it was the latter who initiated the contact.
The NBA and Raptors management has been in contact with the authorities to investigate the incident.
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