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The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday that they have named NBA Executive of the Year Bryan Colangelo as team president and general manager. Colangelo has served as general manager of the Phoenix Suns for the past 11 years, and team president for the last seven. The 40-year-old Colangelo was with the Phoenix organization for 15 years.

“There’s no basketball executive more highly regarded than Bryan Colangelo,” said Richard Peddie, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. “Under Colangelo’s direction the Phoenix Suns have drafted as well as any team in the NBA during the past 10 years, and they’ve built an organization that is consistently competitive in the post-season. He manages the salary cap very well, and has both the knowledge and the courage to make the moves necessary to build a winning franchise. Bryan has a proven track record for meeting the objectives that we have in building the Raptors into a championship organization.”

In June of 2004, Colangelo joined a new ownership group that purchased the Suns. He has previously held the positions of scout, assistant director of player personnel, and vice president/assistant general manager with the Suns, where he was directly involved in all aspects of player personnel including evaluation draft selection and transactions. An alternate governor on the NBA’s Board of Governors, Colangelo also represented the Suns on the NBA’s Competition Committee.

“The Toronto Raptors offer one of the best situations in the NBA, and I’m thrilled to be coming here after 15 years in Phoenix,” said Colangelo, who oversaw a Suns team that reached the playoffs eight times in the past 10 years and posted an overall record of 476-366 (.565) in his 11 seasons. “The Raptors have an ownership group committed to building a championship club, have some excellent young players around Chris Bosh, are positioned well against the salary cap, and reside in one of North America’s premier cities. I couldn’t be any more excited about the future of the Toronto Raptors, and I’m eager to get started here.”

In May 2005, Colangelo was named to the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Program Advisory Panel charged with selecting teams for the 2006 FIBA World Championship (Saitama, Japan), 2007 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament (TBA) and the 2008 Olympics (Beijing, China). This appointment follows a four-year commitment to the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team Committee from 2001 through 2005, where he helped select teams for the 2001 Goodwill Games (Brisbane, Australia), the 2002 World Championship of Basketball (Indianapolis, Indiana), the 2003 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament (San Juan, Puerto Rico) and the 2004 Olympics (Athens, Greece).

Colangelo’s accomplishments and influence in sports and business were recognized nationally when he was named to the “40 Under 40” most influential group by Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal in 2000. In addition to his responsibilities with the Suns, Colangelo served as president of Phoenix Arena Sports (PAS), the owning entity of the Arizona Rattlers (Arena Football League) and the operating entity of the Phoenix Mercury (WNBA) from June 1991 through June 2002. He managed the business administration, team operations and marketing sales of the Rattlers, Mercury and other exhibition events including tennis, hockey, indoor soccer, boxing and volleyball.

“I’ve known Bryan Colangelo his entire career and he’s not only an outstanding basketball executive, but he also has the personal characteristics that have made him successful in various areas of his life,” said Wayne Embry, senior basketball advisor to Peddie. “Bryan has the experience and reputation to lead any basketball club in the NBA, and it’s terrific for the Raptors and their fans that he’s chosen to come to Toronto.”

A 1987 graduate of Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in business management and applied economics, Colangelo has been active in community outreach in the Phoenix area. He has served on the board of directors of the Arizona Zoological Society, Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Phoenix and Phoenix Suns Charities. He recently completed terms on the boards of the Arizona Sports Council, Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, and Phoenix Art Museum, and he has served as co-chair of the annual Black Family and Child Services dinner. He recently completed a term as an executive committee member and vice chairman of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC).