Raptors GM Masai Ujiri complains about lack of TV games in US

Toronto Raptors GM Masai Ujiri is not happy about what he feels is a lack of respect for his team when it comes to TV exposure in the U.S.

The Raptors have big games coming up — they host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday and Golden State Warriors on Saturday. Thursday’s game will be featured on TNT, which is a primetime slot. Ujiri thinks the Raptors should be featured in more games like that.

“I think it’s a bunch of BS that we don’t play on as many national so-called TV games as we should,” Ujiri said in comments published by Sportsnet on Wednesday.

“We don’t play as many of the so-called ESPN games, why is that? We’ve had one of the best records the last five years in the league so I don’t understand why the NBA does not give us, I think it’s a bunch of BS if you ask me, that they don’t give us more games.”

Ujiri says it’s an issue that bothers the team’s fans and players.

“It doesn’t bother me in person, it bothers me for our fans, for our organization, for our players,” he said.

The NBA is running a business, just like its TV partners. Both sides will want to do what brings in the most money for themselves. In many cases, that means promoting the teams that will bring in the biggest ratings.

Though the Raptors have an exceptional fan base that has drawn praise from even LeBron James, the reality is they don’t have the same mass appeal as teams like the Warriors, Cavaliers or Rockets. That’s why they don’t get as many national TV games as they would like.

Now, if Ujiri starts doing some more of this, the Raptors could become viral sensations and achieve the appeal he is seeking.