Top 5 Kyle Lowry records helped set with the Toronto Raptors

The era of Kyle Lowry is officially over, as the Toronto Raptors’ greatest player of all time has officially begun a new chapter in his career with the Miami Heat. After a sign and trade between the Raptors and Miami, the free agent will renew efforts to win more championships in South Beach.

Lowry was signed and traded to Miami in exchange for sophomore and backup center Precious Achiuwa and point guard Goran Dragic. The end of Lowry’s tenure comes after nine mostly brilliant seasons of winning basketball.

There were five consecutive 50 win seasons, including a franchise-best 59 wins in 2018. His time in Toronto saw him personally appear in six All-Star games, and he led Toronto to two Eastern Conference Finals and a 2019 NBA Championship.

It has been the most fruitful era in Raptors history, and Lowry’s contribution cannot be understated. He was literally the heart and soul of the team. A 6-0 guard in a game of giants, he has 166 charges taken in the last five seasons, and he is top of the stats chart in many categories historically for the Raptors.

Here is a look at the top five records Lowry helped set as a Raptor.

Top 5 Toronto Raptors records Kyle Lowry helped set.

5. The biggest Raptors comeback ever, December 21, 2019.

Lowry was instrumental in one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history.

This game vs. the Dallas Mavericks should have been a loss. It resulted in the type of comeback that hadn’t been seen in a decade. In 2009, the Kings pulled off a similar 30-point deficit victory vs. the Bulls. What the Raptors did vs. Dallas in 2019 was impressive due to how rare it is.

The Raptors were trailing this game by 30 points (83-53) with less than three minutes left in the third quarter. Lowry, missing teammates Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol, and Norman Powell due to injuries, took matters into his own hands.

He would score 20 points, one more than Dallas in the fourth quarter, and Toronto would outscore Dallas 47-21 in the fourth to win this game 110-107.

Chris Boucher explained it best with this quote:

"“We all know that we have to step up, and it’s easier when you have somebody like Kyle that’s been there for years and always has a way to tell us what to do or what he needs from us,”"

Lowry has always been the consummate leader in Toronto. As Boucher infers, the team looks to Lowry for guidance. Whether it’s defense, scoring, or sacrificing his body, he always found a way to lead the team to greatness, and this game typifies that.

It’s easier to get your teammates to follow when you practice what you preach. He would finish the game with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in the greatest regular-season comeback in team history.

4. All-time leading 3-point shooter in team history.

Lowry set a franchise record by hitting all six threes for 24 points in a 122-95 victory over the 76ers in November 2016. He has never been shy about taking threes, and his nine-year association with the Raptors proves that.

With 1,518 made in a Raptors uniform, he is the franchise’s all-time leader. On a team that has employed sharpshooters like Morris Peterson, Dell Curry, and even Vince Carter in the past, Lowry’s three-point shooting exploits have been remarkable.

Kyle Lowry is one of the best shooters in recent NBA history.

In one of his last appearances for the Raptors in a game on May 2 against the Lakers, Lowry would score 37 points in that win 121-114 with a career-high eight made three-pointers. What a fitting way to end his Raptors career; sniping an equally matched opponent to death from 3-point range.

There isn’t anyone close to him active or retired in team history. Unless Fred VanVleet starts scoring at a Lowry-like clip for the next half-decade, Kyle should feel pretty comfortable about this record lasting for quite a long time.

3. All-time leading assist man in team history.

One of the amazing things about Lowry’s game is his ability to do everything at an above-average clip. Not only is he a great shooter and defender, but he is a premier passer in the NBA as well.

He has averaged 6.2 assists per game for his career, and his average has been nearly eight per game over the last three seasons. At the age of 35, in some way, his game is getting better.

He had several games with 15 or more assists this season, with 15 against Orlando and Detroit at separate points during the year and 19 assists vs. Boston on March 4. In his nine seasons as a Raptor, he dished out 4,277 assists. He is the franchise’s all-time leader, ahead of Jose Calderon.

Kyle Lowry is the greatest passer in Raptors history.

Lowry would become the all-time Raptors’assist leader in January 2020 when he hit the 3.771 plateaux in assists during a win over the Hawks, moving past Calderon. After years of constant flux at point guard, Lowry gave Toronto some stability and elite performance at that spot.

His 4,000 assists as a Raptor, which he obtained on January 14, made Damian Lillard, Stephen Curry, and Lowry the only players with 4,000 assists for their respective teams before his trade.

2. All-time Raptors triple-double leader.

At some point in the future, there has to be a statue of Lowry. His No. 7 jersey will one day hang from the rafters of Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The triple-double record is just one more feather in his cap.

While we are not talking about Russell Westbrook averages for several seasons, triple-doubles are significantly hard to achieve. A player must be well-rounded and play at a high level to accomplish one, let alone several.

He has 18 career triple-doubles all regular season, and 13 of them are on the road. He has 16 triple-doubles as a Raptor, more than Carter, Chris Bosh, or any other Raptor. Second place is Damon Stoudamire, who has…three.

It’s an impressive stat but a testament to how much impact and influence he has in games. Lowry makes good decisions with the ball but is a scrappy, tough player who plays like he’s 6-9 and challenges for every loose ball.

In one of his triple-double efforts from 2018 against Atlanta, Lowry scored 21 points, handed out 17 assists, and hauled in 12 rebounds, two offensive. He has always had this ability to track the ball wherever it is and a desire to want it more than any player on the court.

You cannot teach size, but he more than compensates with desire and determination.

1. 2019 NBA Finals Raptors vs. Golden State Warriors Game 6.

While not a record in the dictionary definition, how could we resist putting this at No. 1? Helping the franchise etch their name in the NBA record books with a title means more than any combination of numbers does

June of 2019 will forever be remembered as the time the Raptors reached the pinnacle of success in the NBA, raising the Larry O’Brien trophy. It was a six-game Finals against the most recent dynasty in the NBA, the Golden State Warriors.

The Warriors were appearing in their fifth consecutive NBA Finals, but were somewhat beat up physically because of the NBA’s grind.

Kevin Durant had suffered a calf injury during the second-round series vs. Houston and then tore his Achilles tendon vs. Toronto in game five of the Finals. DeMarcus Cousins and Andre Iguodala were also struggling with injuries, and then Klay Thompson tore his ACL in game six.

Lowry, alongside Kawhi Leonard, had impactful performances during the 2019 NBA Playoffs, whether the Raptors got lucky or not. Lowry had struggled in previous years but not in 2019. When Game 6 was over, Lowry had 26 points with 10 assists and 7 rebounds.

Kyle Lowry became an NBA legend in 2019.

The “GROAT” had accomplished the greatest feat in what is now a nine-year career with the team. He has 150 career double-doubles, and Game 6 of the NBA Finals in 2019 may be the greatest of those games.

Lowry will be remembered as a Raptor for life and perhaps the most celebrated in team history. It is a guarantee that Raptor fans will cheer this Raptors legend with standing ovations every time he returns to Scotiabank Arena. He deserves it no matter what jersey he wears from now until the end of his career.