LY: THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES Kyle Lowry

By: Allan Ly
RP Show Intern

When I think of Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors, I think of a gritty hard nose team that is excellent in defence, and always causing trouble for the opposing team. 

Lowry is a stellar NBA player drafted in 2006 by the Memphis Grizzlies from the Villanova Wildcats; he became a player to be reckoned with when he went to the Raptors. 

Unfortunately, after nine seasons with Toronto: Lowry, the all-time leader for the Raptors in assists and steals, signed with the Miami Heat during this off-season on August 2, 2021, via a sign and trade for Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa. 

I remember like it was yesterday when Kyle Lowry first became a Raptor in 2012 from a trade with the Houston Rockets, and initially, I was not a fan.  

This skepticism did not last long when I realized how infectious his play was when he always went in for the steal or when he landed a crucial charging foul late in the fourth quarter.  

There was no way to hate on the guy, and his co-star DeMar DeRozan made Toronto a dangerous team to play against in the Eastern Conference.  

Before Lowry came to Toronto, the Raptors had some bad seasons and were stuck in the NBA draft lottery. 

In only Lowry’s second season with the Raptors, he and DeRozan got us to the NBA Playoffs, facing off against the Brooklyn Nets in 2014. 

We were ranked as the third-best team in the NBA Eastern Conference, and that was the best record we had since the 2008 NBA playoffs when we were sixth.   

The Raptors and Nets matchup was legendary; however, we lost to them in seven games. 

When it came to next year for Lowry and his Raptors, we faced off against the Washington Wizards.  

Unlike the last series with the Nets, we did not do so great with the Wizards, and they swept us in four games.  

After this, we unfortunately encountered LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers, where for the next three years from 2016-2018, we could never beat him in the playoffs. 

In the 2019 playoffs, the Raptors’ luck changed because LeBron James was not in the Eastern Conference but in the West. 

The team was shaken up when Toronto decided to make a blockbuster trade as the DeRozan and Kawhi Leonard trade happened.  

Now with a new superstar duo, the Raptors with Leonard and Lowry steamrolled over the Eastern Conference and got 58 wins in the process. 

What made the 2019 NBA Playoffs so memorable was in the second round when we faced off against the Philadelphia 76ers.  

Kawhi Leonard drilled a buzzer-beater shot in-game seven to beat the 76ers and advanced to the NBA Eastern Conference Championship. 

I watched the game when it happened, and it felt like the world stood still, and when the shot went in, there were no words to describe how happy I was. 

After the 76ers, the Raptors faced off against the Milwaukee Bucks, where we beat them in six and the Golden State Warriors, where we beat them in six for the NBA Championship.  

The Toronto Raptors were the kings of the NBA, and it was amazing what Leonard and Lowry did for their first year together. 

Leonard went to the Los Angeles Clippers following the title victory, but this did not worsen the Raptors. 

With Lowry in the lead, the Raptors managed to keep the status quo and keep second place in the East for the NBA 2020 playoffs.  

Sadly the Raptors lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2020 playoffs in seven games.  

The following season was not the best for the Raptors as we finished with 27 wins and 45 losses and missed the playoffs in the process. 

I only wish the best for Mr. Lowry; as a Raptors fan, he brought an NBA Championship to Canada, so thank you for the memories and good luck with the Miami Heat. 

(Follow Allan Ly on Twitter @AllanTheIntern)