TORONTO -- Masai Ujiri left one of the NBAs biggest success stories this season to salvage a team that has never tasted triumph. And when the new Toronto Raptors general manager was introduced to the media on Tuesday, he summed up his decision with two simple words: "Im home." "It was a tough decision to leave Denver. It was an easy decision to come here," Ujiri told a jam-packed news conference at Air Canada Centre. "Im home. I love Toronto. I love this place." The NBA executive of the year with the Denver Nuggets replaces Bryan Colangelo, the man who was once Ujiris mentor in Toronto. The 42-year-old Ujiri was an assistant GM with Toronto for three seasons before leaving for Denver in 2010. Colangelo remains the Raptors team president in a non-basketball role, while Ujiri is president and GM of basketball operations. The Nigerian-born Ujiri has been tasked with turning around a franchise that hasnt made the playoffs in five years, and has only advanced past the first round once in 18 seasons. But he said he sees a "sleeping giant" in Toronto. "Why cant I change it? Its not all bad, theres plenty good about it," he said. "Its our job to make it better. Its our job to create a winning environment and thats why Im here." Besides, his sense of responsibility to Africa is so strong, he has "no other choice but to be successful." "Thats the only place in my life where I actually feel pressure, for a continent that big and that great, and to have this opportunity here...," said Ujiri, the first African-born GM in North Americas four major sports. "For me, its an obligation, I have to (succeed), I have to do well for my continent." One of Ujiris first decisions concerns the fate of coach Dwane Casey, who has a year left on his contract. Ujiri said he wont rush his decision. "Ive talked to Dwane Casey a couple times and were going to sit down and I want to understand what his philosophies are and Ill tell him what my philosophies are or what I think needs to be changed," said Ujiri, who added he didnt see "any reason" why Casey wouldnt coach the team next season. The new GM said he owes a lot to Colangelo, who gave him an opportunity to be an NBA executive, but when asked if hell seek basketball input from his former boss or from Raptors senior adviser Wayne Embry, Ujiri made it clear whos in charge. "Im on the hot seat now," Ujiri said. "Ill take Bryans input when I feel its necessary, Wayne has always been a great mentor to me, but at the end of the day, Im going to put my staff together and were going to figure this all out collectively," he said. "But basketball decisions are going to be my decisions, so it doesnt matter who tells me what or how its done, at the end of the day, Im sitting right here on the hot seat." Ujiri emphatically denied suggestions the relationship between the current and former GM could be awkward. "Theres no issue with Bryan Colangelo," he said. "No issue. None whatsoever. Zero zero issue. None." Ujiri will have some tough decisions to make right off the bat with a Toronto team that has no pick in either the first or second round of the NBA draft, and is currently over the leagues luxury tax threshold. He will also have to decide which of the Raptors burdensome salaries to eliminate -- if he will indeed eliminate any -- using the amnesty clause. Ujiri says hell evaluate the talent at his disposal in the coming weeks but believes "there are good pieces on this roster," he said. "There are phenomenal players on this roster (but) we have some things we need to correct." One pressing concern is the future of much-maligned Italian forward Andrea Bargnani. Hes a player whose welcome in Toronto has long been worn out, but one who Ujiri believes possesses a valuable skill. "Shooting big is what every coach wants, and how you use it and how you do it is left to be said. But he has that skill," Ujiri said. "My thought on Andrea is hes one of the better shooting bigs in the NBA." Ujiri has had some success with tricky manoeuvring in the past, earning respect for his handling of the Carmelo Anthony trade to New York. Ujiri cobbled together a Nuggets team that won a franchise-best 57 games this season despite having no all-stars. Denver went an NBA-best 38-3 at home to finish third in the powerful Western Conference, helping Ujiri garner the leagues top executive honour to go with George Karls coach of the year award. He remains a huge supporter of African basketball, and said his new job in Toronto -- where he reportedly signed a five-year contract worth as much as $15 million -- will give him the financial flexibility to do even more in his homeland. "I can go and help more people, we can build more courts, we can do more camps, we can help more kids come to school in the States, and I can continue to help with the NBA and the platform theyve created with Basketball Without Borders (the NBAs global outreach program)," he said. Ujiri represents the first major hiring for Tim Leiweke, the recently-appointed president and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment Ltd. Leiweke says Ujiri was his top pick for the job from Day 1 -- despite the belief around the league that Ujiri would never leave Denver for Toronto. "Some of the comments from other people in the league, especially league office, was Do you think you could set your sights any higher?" Leiweke said. The MLSE president talked about creating a new culture in the Raptors, and praised his new young GM for his "juice" and "energy." When asked why fans should believe the latest positive spin on the struggling franchise, Leiweke said: "I inherit, I didnt create." "So this is today, and we move forward from here," he added. "I know the team (Ujiri) is putting together, I know the staff hes putting together ... youll see. I think its time for this organization once and for all to stop spinning and just go do our job." Ujiri wouldnt elaborate on what his new management team will look like, except to say he prefers small staffs. The Raptors front office has already felt his presence with the firing of Ed Stefanski, executive vice-president of basketball operations, on Sunday, among others. Leiweke said the team is also considering rebranding -- meaning potentially a new look or even a new name -- but emphasized a major change isnt a given, but that it will be part of the conversation. "We have to honour the tradition and history of what the Raptors are," he said. "But we also need to hear the fans and what they want to see." . Huberdeau, the third-overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, will not be eligible to play in the NHL this season except on an emergency recall, according to TSNs Bob McKenzie. [url=http://www.schoenenoutlet-nl.nl/]Nike Roshe Run Dames Zwart . Despite a history of back trouble, Youkilis was signed to fill in for Rodriguez after the All-Star third baseman had off-season hip surgery. Youkilis got off to a solid start, also filling in at first base, but was injured April 20 at Toronto and missed six straight games with back stiffness before going 0 for 3 with a walk Saturday. http://www.schoenenoutlet-nl.nl/ . Dating back at least 20 years, studies began to emerge suggesting their may be a price to be paid for all those hits, a notion that only makes sense to anyone whose every watched a game up-close and witnessed what players put themselves through on every single snap. Nike Blazer Low Dames . Gerald Green added 19 points and Markieff Morris 12 for the Suns, who wrapped up exhibition play with a 5-2 mark. Phoenix opens the regular season by hosting Portland next Wednesday. Nike Roshe Run Heren . The 28th-ranked Bulgarian saved three set points in the first before taking the lead, and Djokovic then appeared to hurt his right ankle when trailing 4-2 in the second. The Serbian player slipped on the baseline and winced in pain, then immediately called for a trainer and took a lengthy break to get treatment.McGill University has applied to play in the Ontario University Athletics football conference, which, if accepted, would move the Redmen from the Quebec league to Ontario by 2013. The OUA will be expanding to 11 teams with the addition of Carleton in 2013, which opens the door for a 12th squad and would allow the OUA an option to have two divisions of six teams. "The opportunity to be part of a restructured OUA football league with the addition of a second Ottawa-based team meant the time was right for us to consider such a move. And to do so we had to submit our candidacy," said Drew Love, executive director of athletics and recreation at McGill, who indicated that he has not yet made a decision to leave the six-team Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec football conference. "Should we make the move, we will continue to be a contributing member of the Quebec conference in the majority of our sports. In fact, we currently have 21 teams in the RSEQ – more than any other Quebec university. We had to make a formal application to the OUA last week, which was their deadline to have playing privileges for the 2013 season and we have no idea if they will accept our proposal," said Love. "We have a long tradition of playing football in Ontario and were part of the first intercollegiate football league in 1902 with Queens, Toronto and Western, our traditional Old Four rivals." The OUA champion currently receives the Yates Cup, which was donated in 1898 by Dr. Henry B. Yates, a former McGilll football player who graduated from medical school in 1893, went on to become a professor at McGill until 1914 and served in the Canadian Armed Forces during the First World War.dddddddddddd The Redmen vied for the Yates Cup from 1898 until 1980, when they parted ways with the Ontario league – then known as the OUAA – and began challenging for the Dunsmore Cup as part of the Ontario-Quebec Intercollegiate Football Conference. "The possibility of playing football in the OUA is an intriguing one and we feel that it is a good match for our program," explained Love. "We recruit about 40 per cent of our players from high schools across Canada. They are significantly younger compared to the average CEGEP recruit, so the move to the OUA would put us on a more even playing field. The OUA also plays a shorter regular season schedule, eight games instead of nine, which we feel is a better academic fit for our student-athletes. Love noted that four of McGills 28 varsity teams already compete in the OUA (mens hockey, womens field hockey, mens & womens rowing) and indicated that McGill would also look forward to establishing greater ties with its Ontario colleagues as well. "It would provide us with enhanced marketing opportunities to resume our long-standing rivalries with a number of teams, most notably Queens, which typically draws our largest crowds. In addition, it would give us a chance to play in front of many of our alumni and families of current and prospective McGill students." cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '