TORONTO - On the anniversary of Nelson Mandelas death, basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson says the late South African leaders message of peace could help heal the distrust and disconnect thats led to days of protests across the United States. Nic Petan Jersey .The three-time NBA MVP and co-owner of baseballs Los Angeles Dodgers, Johnson was in Toronto on Friday to attend The Giant of Africa, an event honouring Mandelas legacy.The Mandela event, held before the Toronto Raptors played the Cleveland Cavaliers, was hosted by Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri, the first African-born GM of a North American team.Among those in attendance were former NBA stars Dikembe Mutombo, Charles Barkley and Tracy McGrady, Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier, Amadou Fall, the NBAs vice-president of development in Africa, former Toronto Argonauts star Michael (Pinball) Clemons, and UN Goodwill Ambassador and 1999 Miss Universe winner Mpule Kwelagobe.Johnson said Mandela, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who became President of South Africa after spending 27 years in prison during the apartheid regime, was a master at bringing people together to facilitate change. The same approach, Johnson said, could help heal the racial tensions stoked by high-profile deaths in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City that have led to rioting, looting and clashes between protesters and police.Its going to be important that these meetings take place and we can really bring about serious change because the distrust and the disconnect is huge, Johnson said. Make no mistake about it, its bigger than weve seen on TV.Blacks dont think that theyre ever going to get a fair shake, Johnson said. They think every time the police is coming its going to be trouble, so weve got to really make sure that we can bring about serious change on everybodys side.In a halftime TSN interview with Johnson, Barkley said a year after Mandelas death the same issues were going on.And I wish we had somebody in the United States who could say Listen, obviously some bad things are happening. Weve got to find a way to make this thing work. I just thought about that right now, how ironic were celebrating Nelson Mandela, who was in prison for 27 years. And when he got out of prison, the majority of the blacks over there wanted to retaliate against the whites. And he said No. Lets make this thing work together.Its ironic with all the crap that we have going on in the United States today, we dont have a leader in the United States that can do that.Said Johnson: Charles just said it. And its the truth. And until we come up with that person, or multiple people, we will have the same issues.The mistrust that we have with law enforcement, the mistrust that we have with government, we need somehow to have a leader bring us together, say OK ,this is what we need to do, Johnson added. And then on the other side, come together with whites and say OK this is what we all need to do to make it better for blacks and whites.Asked what he hoped the night might accomplish, Ujiri said I dont know…The world is not in a good place, in my opinion, and (Mandela) makes it better. I think hes going to be bigger, even though hes passed. He was bigger than life.Ujiri organized the event, from which funds raised went to both the Nelson Mandela Foundation and Ujiris Giants of Africa basketball program.Growing up I always remember watching the news with my dad and when the news would come on I just remember the images of fire, fire, fire in Soweto and all the fights on the streets. Id sit there and Id see my dads reactions and thats when I really started to learn about Nelson Mandela, Ujiri said. You study him as you grow up and you read and as I got older, it started meaning more to me what hes done, and the sacrifices he made. In 2006, when I met him, I think it completely changed everything.From then on, hes just somebody that I idolized.Mandela died last Dec. 5 after a long illness. He was 95.— With files from The Canadian Press Laurie Boschman Jersey .com) - Ryan Johansens creative moves and hometown appeal highlighted Team Folignos successful night at the NHL All- Star Skills Competition. Steve Mason Jersey . Among the teams moves was trading one of the teams two third round picks, no. 83 overall, to the Chicago Blackhawks for Brandon Bollig, a six-foot-two, 223-pound left-winger who had seven goals, seven assists, and 92 penalty minutes in 82 games last season.Also, a Kentucky Wildcats fan who tweeted out a picture on March 13th of his 2014 University of Kentucky National Champions tattoo. His tattoos hopes lasted until the 8th seeded Wildcats championship run was crushed by the UConn Huskies. 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