An appreciation of one of a kind Raptor Kyle Lowry

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Somehow it’s already been nearly five years since Kyle Lowry last put on a Toronto Raptors jersey. But the memories of what he did for the franchise will linger forever. Lowry’s last Raptors game was a memorable 37-point 2021 outing in Los Angeles, but he reiterated Sunday that he isn’t completely done with the Raptors.

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Speaking to a media throng so large that even his Philadelphia 76ers teammates could only marvel and try to join in with questions, Lowry, one of only 12 players to reach 20 NBA seasons, said he will go out a Raptor.

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“My goal and I’ve committed to this and I never go from what I say, I will sign a one-day contract and retire as a Raptor. That has not changed,” he said after holding court for 10 minutes despite the fact his beloved Philadelphia Eagles were playing a playoff game at the same time.

Lowry doesn’t play much these days as a tremendous career winds down, but the man considered the “GROAT” (greatest Raptor of all time), has become a highly respected voice for his old Raptors head coach Nick Nurse on a rising Sixers team. Nurse called him his “middle man” and a “conduit to the coaching staff.”

If one travelled back in time it would be hard to believe this Lowry would eventually exist. Dwane Casey used to joke that Lowry would never go into coaching because he’d realize what a pain in the butt he was to coach and wouldn’t stand for players doing the same to him. Casey’s probably right, and Lowry even said a few years ago he wouldn’t just hang around if he could no longer play at a high level (he only played in 35 games last season and just five so far in 2025–26).

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“I said that? S___, I lied,” Lowry laughed. But this current role suits Lowry just fine (he called it “stress free”) and he’s proud of lasting 20 years, noting he and Chris Paul are the only small guards to do so.

“I think the game of basketball, you’ve got to be able to take yourself out of it sometimes, and say, ‘OK, how can I pay it forward a little bit?’ I’ve always been the kind of guy who wants to pay it forward,” Lowry said.

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Leads Raptors in many categories

“Sometimes the game gives you something you have to do. I feel like it’s the moment.”

Lowry, the Raptors franchise leader in assists, three-point field goals, steals, win shares, value over replacement player, and triple-doubles, knows, though, that his days in the NBA are winding down and something special is drawing closer.

The Raptors retired Lowry’s friend Vince Carter’s jersey last season and Lowry’s No. 7 will be raised to the rafters soon enough as well. Lowry had to switch to No. 3 when he arrived thanks to a great trade by Bryan Colangelo because Andrea Bargnani was underachieving in No. 7 already. Two players wearing the same jersey have seldom been more different. Lowry was relentless as a Raptor, an emotional powder keg who drove winning like few other players of his era. And he’ll be rewarded for it soon enough.

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“Y’all ever seen me cry?,” Lowry asked. “If it does (get retired) and when it does it will be a super emotional day. I put a lot of blood sweat and tears into that (No.) seven and to know that it probably will never be worn again will be pretty special,” Lowry said.

“I think something like that for my basketball legacy will be pretty darn cool.”

Lowry became beloved in Toronto and by basketball fans in Canada because he didn’t look like he should be accomplishing so much and because his motor never stopped.

Never the tallest, nor the most athletic

Lowry was never the tallest player on the court, nor the most athletic. Sometimes he was the best shooter, but not always. His magic formula was playing harder and processing the game quicker than anybody else. That’s what made him special.

“You get out there and he just can’t help himself but compete,” Nurse marvelled. “I’d get so amazed that in a 90 second flurry, he could make like, four plays. Go flying into the bleachers and save a ball and then come down and knock somebody over and lay it in and then take a charge,” Nurse said.

We might never see another Raptor quite like him.

“A lot of sacrifice. A lot of hard work. A lot of commitment to the game of basketball,” Lowry said of how he got here. “It’s been a fun time. It’s been a good time. Basketball is the game I love. It’s given me more than I can ever ask for in my life. It’s been cool.”

@WolstatSun

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