NFL
By: Greg Rector
Kyle Lowry is no longer a Toronto Raptor. In a sign and trade deal with the Miami Heat, Lowry gets a three-year deal and the Heat trade Goran Dragic, and Precious Achiuwa, along with a 2nd round pick.
For the last nine years, Kyle Terrell Lowry has given Raptors fans moments of frustration and, of course, the NBA championship moment in 2019, which saw Jurassic Park, the rest of Toronto, and Canada’s biggest moment in the basketball history of the country. Lowry has been the face of the franchise in the bad times (The losses to Lebron’s Cavaliers three straight years 2016 – 2018) and in the good times of the 2019 title run.
Second in games played, first in 3 points made and attempted, first in Triple – Doubles, first in steals and assists. Definitely first in the hearts and minds of Raptors fans as the “Greatest Raptor,” and it’s not even debatable. His number 7 jersey will be the first to hang from Scotiabank Arena’s rafters, before Vince Carter or Chris Bosh.
Simply put in 601 regular seasons and 84 more playoff games, the kid from the University of Villanova via North Philadelphia, was loved for his aggressive style of play. He might only be 6′ tall but he was a GIANT in terms of hustle, grit, and desire. In this hockey-crazed nation, Lowry’s play endeared him to the serious and the casual basketball fan alike. His blue-collar approach is exactly what Canadians adore seeing in their athletic heroes. If you remember back on Lowry’s career how often did he challenge the NBA’s best big men like Antentokounmpo, or Embid get stopped dead in their tracks trying to post up Lowry? While that was enjoyable nothing topped Lowry taking charges against anyone, including during an All-Star game!!
Lowry is the feel-good David beating Goliath story. His early struggles to even get playing time in Memphis and Houston are long forgotten, those early frustrations though gave him a chip on his shoulder, that he would play with his entire time in Toronto. There’s been many a night when the Raptors might be struggling or a call goes against them in a key moment of a game, what happened oh so often is a moment Raptors broadcaster Matt Devlin would announce “Don’t poke the bear.” When the bear got poked Lowry would make an opponent pay on so many nights. When an opponent poked the bear Lowry would not only verbally go after the offender, he would take pleasure in beating the offending player on both ends of the court. He even wore a “Don’t Poke The Bear,” shirt.
His leadership was especially on the court but off it as well that was vital to the NBA title and many other great Raptors moments. In 2020 I will never forget just before the All-Star coaching staff was decided, the Raptors played a very good game, there was no celebrating by Lowry. He was on a mission. That mission was to get his head coach and the Raptors assistant coaches the honor of coaching in the All-Star game. He was interviewed after the win, didn’t want to talk about the game at all, his message “We got another game to win and it’s for Nick.” The Raptors went out and made sure it happened. To a player for three days, there was one message and it was the same one delivered by the captain of the Raptors. All those key moments in the playoff runs it was Lowry who was the vocal and emotional leader. I kept telling people in 2019 that I have never seen a more close-knit team in my life than that Raptors squad and without a doubt the glue that held it all together? Kyle Terrell Lowry. So for all the memories, for the passion, desire, and yes for that sweet moment in 2019 when you and the Raptors won the Larry O’Brien Trophy and turned this hockey-mad into a basketball mad nation, I thank you, Toronto thanks you, Canada thanks you.
