Toronto Raptors' Masai Ujiri trades the court for chit-chat on 'Kelly Clarkson Show'

Throughout his time in the NBA, Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri has been no stranger to meeting the media.

Whether it's been in press conferences, magazine features, or simply an informal chat, Ujiri's been quoted thousands of times over talking about his NBA team, even if team executives are notorious about keeping their cards close to their chest.

But an interview on Monday was a different setting than most, as he took centre stage on one of the most-watched American daytime TV programs: The Kelly Clarkson Show.

Joining the pop star and talk show host, Ujiri spoke about his Giants of Africa Foundation, which he's headed up since its launch in 2003.

Aiming to host basketball camps, build courts, and provide resources to children throughout the continent he grew up on, Ujiri spoke about what inspired him to create the program in the early days of his NBA front office career.

"It became really something big for me to go back, give back, develop youth, whether it's through the game of basketball or whether it's mentorship," Ujiri said.

One thing Ujiri didn't discuss was his busy day-to-day job as the Raptors' president, with a busy offseason already underway, including the NBA Draft later this month.

While the interview with Clarkson was relatively short, Ujiri pushed across the core tenets of his organization's platform to the largely American audience.

Ujiri hyped up the Giants of Africa Festival taking place this summer in Kigali, Rwanda, where 320 young men and women from across the continent will be taking part in a showcase of art, culture, education, and basketball.

"We all have to dream bigger, the youth in Africa need that opportunity through people like us who have had some kind of opportunity… maybe we can transfer it to many others," Ujiri said to Clarkson.