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'I’m not going sort of to be this authoritarian corner office type.'
Published Sep 01, 2025 • 4 minute read
Toronto Raptors general manager Bobby Webster.
Toronto Raptors general manager Bobby Webster has added head of basketball operations to his resume now as well. Photo by Jack Boland /Toronto Sun
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Two of the big questions that came up when Bobby Webster was announced as the new boss of the Toronto Raptors was his managerial style and how it might differ from that of predecessor and mentor Masai Ujiri.
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“I’ve certainly thought a lot about this, in many ways I’m ahead of my time,” Webster said on an August video call with media.
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“I finished university at 20, (general manager of the Raptors, the youngest in the NBA at the time) at 30, we win a title at 32, I’m here in this position at 40 so a lot of it is leading people that are older than you, leading people that are in often cases more experienced,” Webster said. “Now I’m transitioning to sort of be that person where maybe I have more experience, but I am still sort of relatable and young.
“What you might see is generationally, I’m not going sort of to be this authoritarian, corner-office type. I think it will interestingly, maybe on a bigger scale societally, what does it look like when our generation becomes leaders?”
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Webster has picked up a lot over two decades affiliated with the NBA, getting the chance to work with many excellent mentors.
“I think I’ve had a really great opportunity to learn and observe from a lot of leaders, whether it’s back in my Orlando days (as an intern in the early 2000s), Alex Martins and the DeVos family, obviously I was at the league with Adam Silver and the late, great David Stern (the past two NBA commissioners),” Webster said.
“Larry (Tanenbaum, the long-time league board of governors chairman and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment co-owner) and Masai, and now Edward (Rogers), Tony (Staffieri, CEO of Rogers Communication) and Keith (Pelley, MLSE’s president). So, I’ll probably view it more as an opportunity for me to (show) who Bobby is and sort of where we want this team to go. You know my personality. Obviously, I’m going to lead with a smile. I’m going to lead with a lot of positivity, empower those around me,” he said.
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Webster can also draw on those he has been surrounded with in Toronto. People like Ujiri, long-time senior executive Wayne Embry — the Hall of Famer who has been with the club since 2005, and a player or executive since 1958 — and former Toronto general manager and current Magic boss Jeff Weltman, who started in the league in the 1990s.
“I think it’s all about the players and so you’re trying to acquire the top players, you’re trying to push them. Masai was really great at maxing out, sort of, how far can you push a player and see how great they can be,” Webster explained.
“Wayne, at this point in his career provides incredible perspective. He’d always laugh and say, ‘This is my 56th or 58th year in the NBA. And so there’s just a wealth of experience there,” he said. “And then with Jeff, he’s someone that I’ve sort of leaned on throughout my career here, and he’s obviously been aware of this and giving me advice. So there’s just been three great pillars to lean on as I go through this.”
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Webster also noted his strong “rapport” with existing members of the front office like director of analytics Keith Boyarsky, assistant general manager Dan Tolzman and others, saying, “we’ve been through the trenches together,” but said they’ll look into adding “fresh eyes” to the mix.
Webster planned to spend part of the leadup to training camp meeting with “all the heads of (Raptors) departments and discuss what we’re doing well or need to change, if we are going to sort some of these changes, which I’m not saying we are, but that’s the process.”
The Raptors start training camp in four weeks with media day in Toronto before heading to Calgary.
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MAMU THE MAN
One of the newest Raptors had quite a game over the weekend. Sandro Mamukelashvili, who will see some time at centre and power forward off Darko Rajakovic’s bench, went off for 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists in Georgia’s upset win over Spain at Eurobasket.
Mamukelashvili is a talented offensive big man capable of spreading the floor with his outside shooting, while also making deft passes — and that was on display against the perennial world powerhouse Spaniards, who won the previous edition of event.
Georgia held Spain under 70 points.
Mamukelashvili averaged 8.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, shot 50% from the floor, including 37% on 3.6 three-point attempts a game in 24 contests in March and April for San Antonio.
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CHAMPION RAPTOR RETIRES
Another member of the 2019 NBA champion Raptors has retired.
Jeremy Lin, a bit player for the squad, retired at 37 after most recently playing in China and Taiwan.
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[Toronto Raptors general manager Bobby Webster has added head of basketball operations to his resume now as well.
Raptors stay in house, choose Webster as head of basketball operations](https://torontosun.com/sports/basketball/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-stay-in-house-choose-bobby-webster-as-new-team-boss?utm_source=read-more)
2. [Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors will play their 2025-26 home opener against the Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 24.
Toronto Raptors 2025-26 schedule breakdown: Easier start, key games to watch](https://torontosun.com/sports/basketball/nba/toronto-raptors/schedule-breakdown-easier-start-key-games-to-watch?utm_source=read-more)
Lin broke barriers through his thrilling “Linsanity” run with the New York Knicks, which included a game-winning shot at Toronto in 2012.
He averaged 11.6 points, 4.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals over nine years in the NBA.
Other retired members of the Raptors squad include starting centre Marc Gasol and starting shooting guard Danny Green. Team leader Kyle Lowry is about to start his 20th and likely final NBA season, while Serge Ibaka has been playing overseas and might be done, too.
Another reserve on that team, Jordan Loyd, just had a monster game at Eurobasket, hitting seven three-pointers in Poland’s shocking win over Luka Doncic and Slovenia.
@WolstatSun
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