3 reasons Kyle Lowry is the best Toronto Raptors player ever
By Mike Luciano
The Toronto Raptors are all set to welcome Kyle Lowry back to Canada as a member of the visiting Miami Heat. The shock of seeing him as the enemy after nearly a decade of memories he helped create in Toronto is going to sting this fanbase in a pretty significant fashion.
At the absolute worst, Lowry is a top-four player in Raptors history. While names like Chris Bosh and Vince Carter might have more individual accolades, neither of them can claim to have the combination of on-court success, off-court impact, and statistical dominance that No. 7 earned.
While the debate of who the greatest Raptors player ever is will likely go on for decades unless one player just completely shatters the mold, Lowry has as strong a case as anyone for that mythical title. His accomplishments in Toronto will eventually carry him to Springfield.
While Bosh, Carter, and old running mate DeMar DeRozan all had fantastic careers north of the border, Lowry outclasses them all. Ahead of his much-hyped return, let’s take a look at exactly why Lowry still reigns supreme over the rest of this franchise.
3 reasons Kyle Lowry is still the best Toronto Raptors player ever.
3. The records he holds
After failing to catch on in Memphis and emerging as a less-than-dominant presence in Houston, no one expected he would be anything close to a record-breaking performer. A decade later, Lowry’s name is near the top of nearly every relevant Raptors list.
Lowry is the franchise’s all-time leader in assists, steals, win shares, and VORP. Lowry is second in minutes players, points, and steals per game while coming in third in total rebounds. Even after a somewhat inauspicious start in Toronto, Lowry ended his time in Toronto plastered all over the record books.
Kyle Lowry has tons of Toronto Raptors records.
Lowry was a masterful passer that set records it will take even the shaped point guard years to break. When paired with his penchant for triple-doubles and propensity to go off on a torrid offensive streak, Lowry was uniquely adept at making an impact in all facets of the game.
His individual records may one day be taken down, but no one is coming to close to emulating Lowry’s ability to be so dominant in so many phases. As great as Fred VanVleet has been without Lowry, FVV still has a long way to go before he is in that tier as a player.