Toronto Raptors: Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan’s heartfelt exchange will pump up Raptors fans

The Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs are two franchises that will remain forever intertwined, as the Kawhi Leonard trade that brought Toronto their first championship in franchise history also sent the franchise’s all-time leading scorer in DeMar DeRozan to San Antonio as collateral. This broke up his partnership with Kyle Lowry.

While DeRozan missed out on getting his championship ring, he remains a beloved figure in Canada, as he is one of the few high Raptors draft picks who chose to re-sign in Toronto and make a name for himself here instead of being tempted by an offer to potentially return to the States.

DeRozan and Lowry might be a country apart (in non-pandemic years, at least), but the two still have an enduring kinship that shines through whenever the two get to meet up. Even though Lowry sat out Toronto’s narrow win against San Antonio in order to nurse a toe injury, he and DeRozan still found time to catch up and show love to each other.

Cameras caught Lowry and DeRozan embracing before the game, proving that neither time nor distance has eroded their friendship. Raptors fans everywhere should get a kick out of this, especially after Lowry reciprocated DeRozan’s kindness after Fred VanVleet broke his franchise single-game points record.

https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1382501992237502465

Toronto Raptors: Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are still friends.

DeRozan has averaged 21.5 points per game in his three seasons with the Spurs, but he hasn’t had the same amount of postseason success. Perhaps in search of that elusive ring, DeRozan has hinted that he will take a “wide open” approach to free agency now that his contract is coming up at the end of this year.

DeRozan has had some really poor luck in that regard. While Lowry was able to serve as the No. 2 man on a title team, DeRozan was not only traded away right before Toronto climaxed with a title, but he landed on a Spurs team that was on the tail end of their comet of success.

Raptors fans might claim DeRozan’s hypothetical first ring as a half-championship for Toronto considering what he meant to this city and this team.

It appears as though Raptors fans have come to terms with the reality that trading DeRozan for Leonard had to happen in order to secure a championship, that fact has done little to erode their love for the former USC star. Back when he was getting All-Star buzz earlier in the season, Raptors fans were making an effort to get him to Atlanta.

DeRozan might be in black and white, but his home will always be in Toronto. Even if he shows up to Toronto in enemy colors, his contributions over the course of his decade north of the border will ensure that he gets a hero’s welcome from former teammates and fans.