Kyle Lowry Wants To Retire A Toronto Raptor
Kyle Lowry has been solid this year after he struggled a bit during his first two seasons with the Miami Heat. The now 37-year-old is getting close to the end of his playing days and assured fans that he wants to end his career as a Toronto Raptor, where he spent nine of his 18 seasons.
“I’m definitely retiring as a Raptor,” Lowry told reporters in Toronto ahead of Miami’s Wednesday evening contest against the Toronto Raptors. “I will sign that one-day contract and I will retire as a Toronto Raptor. That’s just how it’s going to be.”
As it should. It is unclear when that time will come just yet though as Lowry’s shooting numbers have gone up a lot this year. Even Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra commented on his recent play.
“He’s healthy. He’s gotten himself into great shape, he really worked at it this summer. And he has just a brilliant mind for the game,” Spoelstra said. “If he’s healthy and he can move the way he’s supposed to move — he does so many things that impact winning. And we have a group around him that he really complements well and the group helps him also, so it’s a symbiotic relationship.”
Lowry has proven to be extremely helpful for this Heat squad and is a great leader. This is a contract year for him and I don’t think he will retire after this season.
He still has a spark and is proving he can still provide value at this level. He could even play into his 40s if he takes care of his body and is given the proper bench role.
Lowry retiring as a Raptor will be a good ending to this story. By then, he will likely have 20 NBA seasons under his belt and he has already cemented himself as a Raptors legend. He helped bring the organization its first and only NBA championship in 2018-19 and was such a loyal member of the team despite numerous tough playoff losses. He put his all into that team and will go down in their hall of fame without a doubt.
