Toronto’s multicultural Raptors: Teamwork and individualism

This article was written on June 3, 2019 by Gamal Abdel-Shehid, contributor to “The Conversation”, a non-for-profit media outlet that uses content sourced from academics and researchers.  In the article Abdel-Shehid discusses the history and impact of the Toronto Raptors coming to Canada (where he talks about previous work he has written), black masculinity and individualism, which he calls “Raptor Morality,” multiculturalism, diversity, and how all of these factor into the current 2019 Toronto Raptors, who are currently competing in the NBA Finals.

To begin Abdel-Shehid discusses how the Toronto Raptors, of the National Basketball Association (NBA), have become entrenched in Canadian culture.  He opens the article by saying, “The Toronto Raptors have succeeded in establishing themselves as major cultural and economic player in both the city of Toronto and beyond, with several offshoots of the outdoor fan zone (Jurassic Park) popping up in the suburbs across Canada” (Abdel-Shehid, 2019).  He continues by referencing some of his work back in the 1990’s, which he argued that, “the arrival of the Raptors in the late 1990’s in a hockey town attempted to construct an American version of Black masculinity and individuality, which I called Raptor Morality.  Raptor Morality refers to a mentality that puts forth a determined Black male who is fiercely individualistic and committed to a dream of making it through the brutal channels of professional sport” (Abdel-Shehid, 2019).

He then moved onto the subject of “multicultural teamwork,” in which he explains that the term Raptor Morality he wrote about many years ago may have to exist, but morality also plays a key role.  Abdel-Sheid (2019) describes the current Toronto Raptors as, “an example of both individualism and a kind of multicultural teamwork both on and off the court.  For one, not only have the Raptors succeeded in showcasing the incredible diversity of Toronto, that diversity (while not perfect) has now become a draw for many African American NBA players: Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley called Toronto his favourite city.”

Pertaining to diversity Abdel-Shehid talks about how the Toronto Raptors have a culture that thrives on diversity starting from the top.  In the article he states, “The main players in the Raptors story in 2019 are not only a multicultural tour de force but also represent certain ethics beyond individualism.  Masai Ujiri, the team president, is a Nigerian-Canandian who runs a charity called Giants of Africa and has been central in establishing a presence for the NBA in Africa, and it is no accident that two of the best players on the team are from Africa, Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam (Abdel-Shehid, 2019).

 

The multicultural roots do not end there for this team.  Moreover, “superfan Nav Bhatia, a Sikh car dealership owner, has launched the Nav Bhatia Superfan Foundation, to give back to the community through basketball. In addition, he has recently become somewhat of a spokesman for racial tolerance, given the abuse he received in Milwaukee during the Eastern Conference Finals” (Abdel-Shehid, 2019).

He ends the article talking about Drake being an ambassador for the basketball team and the city and a summary of Raptor Morality in 2019.  Abdel-Shehid (2019) states, “Drake has used his Afro-Jewish hertiage to signify his belief that Toronto is wonderfully unique and superior to American cities.”

In regards to his summary of Raptor Morality in 2019, he explains, “It’s a truly sentimental time for fans of the team.  Many of the team’s icons have embodied hard work and beating the odds, but also a dedication to greater causes than basketball.  As much on-court success, it’s translated into a groundswell of civic pride previously unseen” (Abdel-Shehid, 2019).

I chose this article because it is relevant to the course work in that it discusses multiculturalism, diversity, and organizational responsibility.  The Raptors leader and Team President, Masai Ujiri’s has established a very “blended” cultural that brings its fanbase, celebrities, and community closer together.  Also, his charity is an example of organizational responsibility as he gives back not only to his community around the Toronto area, but Africa as well.  He is extremely involved in this cause and it also benefits him from a basketball standpoint as well.  In the Abdel-Shehid (2019) article his charitable actions are described as, “unusual and laudable for someone in his position.”  Also, Ujiri personally scouted players years ago at camps that he established, and eventually found Pascal Siakam, who now currently plays on the team.

Personally, his use of the term Raptor Morality is still very relevant today.  As I read the article, personally I associated the term Raptor Morality with a “Killer Instinct” mentality, or extreme determination.  In order to be high performing in whatever you are doing, you need to have a certain individualistic edge to yourself to motivate and push you through the brutal realities of everyday life.  This example dealt with sports, but the majority of us will never play a sport at a semi-professional level, let alone professional, however I think it is relevant to non-sports issues.  Raptor Morality/Killer Instinct/Extreme determination is your ability to dig deep and look inside yourself  and find eventual answers to the challenges you face.  An individual’s personality may affect the degree to which this mentality is executed, however, it not limited by race, ethnicity, gender, age, it is based solely on the individual.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

Please check out the full article here

As always, please feel free to comment and add to the discussion!

Sincerely,

Stephen Watts

@jaylee4515

#COMM837S19