On a day generally highlighted by hype and zaniness, Masai Ujiri brought moderation and solemnity. There was no blaming the Toronto Raptors president for that on media day, the unofficial start of the franchise’s 30th season,

It's a sad day for the basketball world as Dikembe Mutombo, a legend of the game, passed away after a battle with brain cancer.

From the moment it happened in 2011, the partnership seemed like a lower-stakes, modern-day version of mutually assured destruction: Bell Canada Enterprises and Rogers Communications, each other’s primary competitors, coming together to buy a majority share of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE).

From fans to NBA players to those who covered him to the many people who simply called him a friend, like Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri, there have been some truly excellent tributes that have done a great job in illustrating the 7-foot-2 center's impact that went miles beyond the game of basketball.

LeBron James told the story of Mutombo fracturing his face — and even then he couldn't talk about Dikembe without a smile on his face.

Dikembe Mutombo #55, Center for the Atlanta Hawks during the NBA Pre Season basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers on 24th October 1997 at the Great Western Forum arena in