Toronto Raptors: Potential Tim Leiweke Replacement?

By Matt Shantz | Oct 11, 2014

Dec 13, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors owner and MLSE president Tim Leiweke watches from the bench against the Philadelphia 76ers at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors won 108-100. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Leadership can make all the difference in sports. From leadership on the court/field/ice, to leadership on the bench, and leadership in the boardroom. The Toronto Raptors have sadly been bereft of dynamic leadership for much of the franchises history. No where has this been more significant and visible than in the front office.

Raptor fans have had to struggle through Isiah Thomas, he of New York Knicks lore; Glen Grunwald, easily the best of the bunch; Rob Babcock, being worse than Isiah was his biggest accomplishment; Wayne Embry, interim only; and Bryan Colangelo, with his love and devotion for Andrea Bargnani.

Which is why the loss of Tim Leiweke as president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) hurts the Raptors so much. Leiweke brought a dynamic presence to the Raptors and was instrumental in building expectations within the organization.

"But when the flashy new suit comes to town and spends the bulk of his introductory press conference discussing his intention to have the Raps “aspire to be the Heat and the Lakers” and openly discussing his dream of bringing a David Beckham-like soccer figure to Toronto FC, it does drive home the point that the Leafs are just one part of this massive operation and maybe not the biggest part."

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When Leiweke arrived in Toronto, the Raptors, along with Toronto FC soccer, were his top priority. He brought in an mindset that the Raptors were not a second tier team in the NBA, but could actually “aspire to be the Heat and the Lakers.”

Before Leiweke, the Raptors had never been comparable to the Miami Heat or Los Angeles Lakers outside of the fact they play the same sport. Toronto has always viewed itself as the smaller and less talented, little brother; but Leiweke was unwilling to accept this attitude within the franchise.

He brought in Masai Ujiri, who has already done more positive moves in his one year tenure than Raptor fans know what to do to with, and he envisioned the involvement of Drake as the franchise as a Global Ambassador. But perhaps his biggest asset was that he helped to shield the Raptors management team from what has historically been rumored to be an interfering MLSE board.

The worry for the Raptors is not about management structure, but about whether Masai Ujiri and his staff will be allowed to run the organization the way they see fit. It was Leiweke’s interactions with the board that has helped bring about an early end to his tenure with MLSE, and it is that same board interaction that could be missed most by the Raptors.

And now word has come out that MLSE is taking a serious look towards the NHL for Leiweke’s potential replacement.

"Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment have targeted NHL chief operating officer John Collins as a potential successor to president Tim Leiweke, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.MLSE has reportedly requested contact with the high-profile executive and are deep into the process of finding a replacement.Dreger notes that Collins has brought significant business ventures to the league and wants to complete the projects he has on the go before pursuing a new endeavor."

By all accounts, Collins is an award winning executive with experience in the NFL and NHL, who has developed strategies and marketing that has transformed the NHL in recent years. But unlike Leiweke, it remains to be seen how he would empower and protect the leadership under him.

As long as Ujiri is in charge of the Raptors, fans should have few concerns, assuming whoever is hired as the new president and CEO of MLSE will allow Ujiri that freedom.

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