Toronto Raptors: A retrospective of Kyle Lowry’s time in Canada

Why Kyle Lowry is the G.R.O.A.T.

Leonard is the best player to ever wear a Raptors uniform, Vince Carter was the most famous, Bosh and DeRozan were more dominant at their apex, Siakam and VanVleet are the personifications of the Raptors’ organizational ability to develop players, and Lowry’s raw numbers aren’t ridiculous. So why is he the best ever?

Because for 27 years, the Raptors have always been treated like an ugly duckling, constantly unloved, unappreciated, and disregarded by the media at large. Players didn’t want to play here, the losing seasons piled up like snow, and the basketball world looked at us and said “no thanks” over and over again.

Kyle Lowry changed that.

Lowry stayed when others left. He worked himself to the bone to become the best player he could be, for us. He went all-out on the court every single night, for us. He endured snide comments, trade rumors, injuries, and a constantly changing roster.

We loved him, and he loved us back.

To bring it back to basketball for a second, the Kyle Lowry experience can be summed up in a single play. His signature play. Drawing a change.

A 6-foot guard sees a 6-10, 270-pound man flying at him at top speed and decides he’s gonna hold his ground. That hard-nosed style of play translated into dozens of extra points in the Raptors favor, and it typified his play over the last decade.

Toronto will have other All-Stars pass through the city over the next few years, maybe some All-NBA guys too if we’re lucky, but we’ll never see another Lowry again.

He was special.