Raptors honoured by NBA with league award for leadership on inclusion

The Toronto Raptors have pretty much always been known for being one of the NBA’s most diverse organizations.

And it appears the rest of the league feels the same.

At an NBA conference in Miami, the league recognized the Raptors for their “cross-functional inclusion program that commits to creating meaningful and lasting impact for communities facing barriers,” naming Toronto the recipient NBA Inclusion Leadership Award for programming during the 2021-22 season.

A committee made up of team and league executives selected the winners.

Toronto has a series of annual initiatives to uplift local talent in a variety of ways.

One such initiative is the Wayne & Theresa Embry Fellowship, which gives two selected candidates the opportunity to “gain firsthand experience in a professional basketball environment over the course of a full NBA season,” by working closely with several different departments through the Raptors organization.

Meanwhile, the Welcome Toronto Creators Program showcases local emerging creators who identify as Black, Indigenous, Women, Non-Binary by featuring their artwork and backstories at select games throughout the season.

From its on-court roster that’s always featured a host of international talent to its front office led by UK-born, Nigerian-raised president Masai Ujiri, Toronto is a franchise with a reputation for practicing what they preach when it comes to diversity and inclusion.

“Inclusion isn’t simply a business pillar for our organization; it is at the center of everything we do,” said John Wiggins, Raptors’ vice president of organizational culture and inclusion. “We recognize the privilege and responsibility that comes with our platform, and we continuously strive to use our voice to provide opportunities that unite our community through the power of sport.”

You might also like:
• Raptors face major decision in next few weeks about Gary Trent Jr.'s future