Kyle Lowry

Lowry was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 24th overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft. He appeared in 10 games as a rookie before suffering a broken wrist against the Cleveland Cavaliers on November 21, 2006.[9] He subsequently underwent season-ending surgery.[10] He returned for the 2007–08 season and appeared in all 82 games for the Grizzlies.[11] The 2008–09 season saw Lowry and good friend Mike Conley Jr. compete for playing time and the starting point guard position. In January 2009, Lionel Hollins was named the team's head coach and Lowry was told that the team would devote the starter's minutes to Conley. Lowry was unhappy with his role, and some in the organization considered him a bad influence on the roster.[12]

Lowry playing for the Houston Rockets in November 2009

On February 19, 2009, Lowry was traded to the Houston Rockets in a three-team deal involving the Grizzlies and the Orlando Magic.[13] In Houston, Lowry grew to appreciate the tutelage of his new coach, Rick Adelman.[12] With the Rockets making the playoffs in 2009, Lowry played in the post-season for the first time in his career.

In 2009–10, Lowry served as the backup point guard to Aaron Brooks.[14] On December 18, 2009, he recorded a career-high 26 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, and five steals in a 116–108 win over the Dallas Mavericks.[15]

On June 30, 2010, with his contract expiring, the Rockets extended a qualifying offer, thus making Lowry only a restricted free agent.[16] On July 13, 2010, he signed an offer sheet with the Cleveland Cavaliers worth $23.5 million over four years.[17][18] The Rockets quickly matched the offer, thus retaining Lowry.[17]

In 2010–11, Lowry started in 71 of the 75 games he played in, and his reputation in the league began to solidify.[12] On December 3, he scored a career-high 28 points and matched his career best with 12 assists in the Rockets' 127–111 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.[19] On December 17, in another win over the Grizzlies, Lowry recorded 17 points and a career-high 18 assists.[20] On January 14, he matched his season high with 28 points in a 110–105 overtime loss to the New Orleans Hornets.[21] On February 16, he scored a career-high 36 points in a 114–105 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.[22] On March 8, he scored 32 points and made a career-high seven 3-pointers in a 113–110 loss to the Phoenix Suns.[23] On March 20, he recorded his first career triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 110–108 win over the Utah Jazz,[24] becoming only the fourth Rockets player since 2002–03 to record a triple-double.[25] He was subsequently named Western Conference Player of the Week.[25]

Coach Adelman and the Rockets parted ways following the 2010–11 season, and Lowry initially clashed with new head coach Kevin McHale.[12] In the lockout-shortened 66-game 2011–12 season, Lowry appeared in 47 games with 38 starts, missing 16 games over March and April with a bacterial infection that required hospitalization.[26][27] With Lowry out, backup point guard Goran Dragić played well in his absence, and the Rockets decided they could trade Lowry to improve their salary cap issues and acquire draft picks during the offseason.[12]

On July 11, 2012, Lowry was traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Gary Forbes and a future first round pick.[28] Lowry averaged over 23 points and seven assists through the first three games of the season, but was injured during the team's fourth game, a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 6, 2012.[29] Upon his return he came off the bench behind José Calderón, but regained the starting position when Calderón was traded in a three-team deal on January 30, 2013 that brought Memphis Grizzlies small forward Rudy Gay to the Raptors.[30] Despite the trade, which was meant to help the struggling Raptors return to relevance, the team finished the season with a 34–48 record, missing the playoffs.

On May 31, 2013, Masai Ujiri was hired as the Raptors' new general manager, replacing Bryan Colangelo. Ujiri believed that Lowry had the potential to be a star, but found that his reputation around the NBA had more to do with his history of clashing with coaches and his body language than his talent. Ujiri challenged Lowry during meetings that off-season to be a better player and leader. "Do you want to be a $3 million player, $2 million player for the rest of your career", Ujiri remembers asking Lowry, "...or do you want to be a $10 million player or more?" Lowry also received mentorship from Chauncey Billups, who Lowry remembers "pushed me mentally to challenge myself." Receptive to the advice he had received from Ujiri and others, Lowry looked forward to the upcoming season, entering training camp healthy for the first time in several seasons.[12]

The Raptors started the 2013–14 season with a 6–12 record, until Gay, the team's leading scorer, was traded to the Sacramento Kings. Following the trade, Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan approached Lowry and the two decided to take ownership of the team, knowing they could both be traded if the team's management decided to rebuild rather than compete for a playoff spot.[12] Lowry's name was linked to several teams, most frequently the New York Knicks, in trade rumors, but the Knicks were reportedly unwilling to send a first-round pick to Toronto in exchange for Lowry.[12] The post-Gay Raptors quickly emerged as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and many cited Lowry's strong play and leadership as a significant factor in their success.[31] The team finished the season with a franchise-best 48–34 record, third in the Eastern Conference and first in the Atlantic Division for the second time in franchise history. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2008, but lost in the first round to the Brooklyn Nets after Lowry's potential game-winning shot was blocked by Paul Pierce in Game 7. Despite the disappointing end to the season, Lowry averaged a career-best 17.9 points, 7.4 assists, and 4.7 rebounds during the regular season and 21.1 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.7 rebounds during the playoffs.

Lowry entered the off-season as one of the NBA's most coveted free agents, attracting interest from the Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, and other teams.[32] On July 10, 2014, he re-signed with the Raptors to a four-year, $48 million contract.[33][34]

Lowry with the Toronto Raptors in April 2015

The Raptors and Lowry continued their strong play into the next season, and the team once again emerged as a top seed in the Eastern Conference. On November 7, 2014, Lowry became the team's all-time leader for triple-doubles with a 13-point, 10 assist, and 11 rebound performance in a win against the Washington Wizards. It was Lowry's sixth career triple-double and his fourth as a Raptor, passing Damon Stoudamire, who had the previous franchise record of three.[35] On December 3, he scored a career-high 39 points on 13-of-22 shooting in a win against the Utah Jazz.[36] On January 5, 2015, Lowry was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for December 2014, making him only the second Raptor, after Chris Bosh, to receive this recognition. Lowry averaged 22.3 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.2 rebounds during the month, winning Player of the Week during the first week and helping lead the Raptors to an 11–4 record.[37] On January 22, 2015, Lowry became a first-time All-Star when he was announced as an Eastern Conference starter in the 2015 NBA All-Star Game.[38] He became only the third Raptor to be voted in as a starter, after Vince Carter and Bosh.[39] On February 5, 2015, the NBA announced that Lowry would also participate in the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge as part of the NBA All-Star Weekend.[39] Lowry finished the All-Star game with 10 points, a team-high eight assists, three rebounds and four steals in a loss to the West, completing his first in-game dunk since 2009.[40]

On March 16, 2015, Lowry recorded his seventh career triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 117–98 win over the Indiana Pacers.[41] The Raptors finished the 2014–15 season with a franchise-best 49–33 record, fourth in the East and first in the Atlantic, but were swept in the first round by the Washington Wizards, despite entering the series with homecourt advantage. Lowry averaged 17.8 points, 6.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 70 games during the regular season, but a disappointing 12.3 points, as well as 4.8 assists, and 5.5 rebounds, in the playoffs, with many questioning his health during the series.[42]

Following his disappointing performance in the playoffs, Lowry entered the 2015–16 season with a noticeably slimmer physique, looking "as trim and fit as he ever has during his nearly decade-long NBA career", according to Toronto Sun writer, Ryan Wolstat.[43] Lowry explained that he wanted to be prepared "for 82 games and a long playoff run."[44] On November 3, he scored a game-high 27 points against the Dallas Mavericks as the Raptors started 4–0 for the first time in franchise history (the streak eventually ended with five wins).[45] On December 5, Lowry scored a then career-high 41 points and made six three-pointers in a loss to the Golden State Warriors.[46]

On January 18, 2016, Lowry tied his career-high of made three-pointers in game with seven, scoring a game-high 31 points in total, in a 112–100 win over the Brooklyn Nets.[47] On January 21, he was named as a starter to the Eastern Conference All-Star team for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game.[48] He was also later named a contestant in the Three-Point Contest, making him the third Raptors player to participate in this event.[49] On February 1, in a 112–93 loss to the Denver Nuggets, Lowry passed Alvin Williams for second all-time on the Raptors' assists list.[50] The following day, Lowry and teammate DeMar DeRozan were selected as co-winners for Eastern Conference Player of the Month for January. The pair helped the Raptors go 12–2 during the month and record a franchise-record 11-game win streak.[51] On February 14, Lowry finished his second All-Star game, held in Toronto for the first time, with 14 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals in the East's 196–173 loss to the West. On February 22, he recorded his eighth career triple-double (sixth as a Raptor) with 22 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds in a 122–95 win over the New York Knicks.[52] Four days later, he scored a career-high 43 points, on 15-of-20 shooting, and had nine assists, five rebounds, and four steals in a 99–97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.[53] On February 29, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played from February 22–28.[54] On March 21, he was again named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, for games played from March 14–20, becoming the first Raptors player since Chris Bosh in 2009–10 to win the award multiple times in the same season.[55] On March 30, he recorded 17 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds in a 105–97 win over the Atlanta Hawks, helping the Raptors reach 50 wins for the first time in franchise history.[56] The team finished the regular season with a 56–26 record, good for first in the Atlantic Division for the third consecutive year, and second in the Eastern Conference.

Lowry entered the playoffs suffering from bursitis in his shooting elbow, as he shot a mere 32% from the field over the final 10 games of the regular season.[57] His poor shooting continued into the postseason as the Raptors faced the Indiana Pacers in the first round. Despite Lowry's struggles, the Raptors defeated the Pacers in seven games, winning their second playoff series in franchise history, their first since 2001, and their first seven-game series.[58] In Game 3 of the Raptors' second-round series against the Miami Heat, Lowry broke out of his shooting slump with a 33-point performance on 11-of-19 shooting, helping the Raptors win 95–91 and go up 2–1 on the series.[59] In Game 6 of the series, he tied his playoff career high with 36 points on 12-of-27 shooting in a 103–91 loss, as the Heat forced a Game 7 in Toronto.[60] In Game 7 of the series, he scored 35 points on 11-of-20 shooting, to go along with nine assists, seven rebounds, and four steals, in a 116–89 win, helping the Raptors advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.[61] In Game 4 of the Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lowry scored 35 points on 14-of-20 shooting to help the Raptors win 105–99 and tie the series at 2–2.[62] In Game 6 of the series, Lowry again scored 35 points, but was unable to force a Game 7, with the 113–87 loss knocking the Raptors out of the playoffs with a 4–2 defeat.[63] Lowry capped off his strong season by earning All-NBA third team honors. With his first selection to the All-NBA team, he joined Vince Carter and Chris Bosh as the only players in franchise history to receive this recognition.[64]

Lowry and John Wall in 2016.

On November 28, 2016, Lowry set a franchise record by hitting all six of his three-pointers for a game-high 24 points in a 122–95 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.[65][66] On December 9, he scored 21 of his then season-high 34 points in the second half of the Raptors' 101–94 win over the Boston Celtics.[67] He set a new season high on December 23, scoring 36 points, including 19 in the fourth quarter, to lead the Raptors to a 104–98 victory over the Utah Jazz.[68][69] On January 1, 2017, he scored 20 of his season-high 41 points in the fourth quarter of the Raptors' 123–114 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. He also had 9 rebounds, and 7 assists, and went 5-of-6 from three-point range.[70] On February 5, 2017, he recorded his ninth career triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 103–95 win over the Brooklyn Nets.[71] The following day in the Raptors' 118–109 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Lowry became the Raptors' franchise leader in three-pointers when he buried one from beyond the arc with 5:27 to play in the first half. His third three-pointer of the night gave him 802 in a Toronto uniform, surpassing Morris Peterson's mark.[72] On April 5, 2017, he returned from an 18-game absence with a wrist injury, played 42 minutes, and had 27 points and 10 assists to help the Raptors overcome a 20-point first-half deficit in a 105–102 victory over the Detroit Pistons.[73]

In the Raptors' second-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lowry sprained his left ankle in the third quarter of Game 2 and aggravated the injury while trying to warm up for Game 3. He was not active for Game 4 and thus could not assist the Raptors in trying to avoid a series sweep; with a 109–102 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 4, the Raptors bowed out of the playoffs with a 4–0 defeat.[74]

Following the playoffs, Lowry declined his $12 million player option for the 2017–18 season and became an unrestricted free agent.[75]

On July 7, 2017, Lowry re-signed with the Raptors to a three-year, $100 million contract.[76][77] On October 27, 2017, he recorded his first triple-double of the season and his eighth as a Raptor with 11 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 101–92 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.[78] With 19 points against the Boston Celtics on November 12, Lowry moved past Andrea Bargnani (6,581 points) into fourth place on Toronto's all-time scoring list.[79] On November 25, he had 15 points, and a career-high 13 rebounds in a 112–78 win over the Atlanta Hawks.[80] Four days later, he scored a season-high 36 points in a 126–113 win over the Charlotte Hornets.[81] On December 15, he recorded his 11th career triple-double, and second of the season, with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in a 120–87 win over the Brooklyn Nets.[82] On January 20, 2018, he scored a season-high 40 points on 14-for-25 shooting, including 6 of 10 from behind the arc, in a 115–109 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.[83] Three days later, he was selected as a reserve for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game, marking his fourth consecutive All-Star selection.[84] On February 8, 2018, in a 113–88 win over the New York Knicks, Lowry passed 11,000 career points.[85] On March 23, 2018, he recorded his 10th triple-double as a Raptor with 25 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 116–112 win over the Nets.[86]

In Game 2 of the Raptors' first-round playoff series against the Washington Wizards, Lowry had 13 points, and a career playoff-high 12 assists, as Toronto took a 2–0 lead in a playoff series for the first time in franchise history with a 130–119 win.[87] In Game 6, Lowry scored 24 points in a 102–92 series-clinching win over the Wizards.[88] In the second round, the Raptors were swept for the second straight year by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Lowry advances the ball down the court while being guarded by Klay Thompson during Game 2 of the 2019 NBA Finals

In the Raptors' season opener on October 17, Lowry scored 27 points on 5-for-6 from 3-point range and had eight assists in a 116–104 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.[89] On October 26, he had 20 points and 12 assists in a 116–107 win over the Dallas Mavericks, thus recording 10 or more assists for a career-best fourth straight game, becoming the first Raptors player to accomplish the feat since José Calderón had five in a row in March 2012.[90] On October 30, in a 129–112 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Lowry had 20 points and 13 assists, extending his streak of double-digit assist games to a career-best six.[91] The career-best streak ended at nine.[92] On November 21, he recorded his 13th career triple-double with 21 points, 17 assists, and 12 rebounds in a 124–108 win over the Atlanta Hawks.[93] Lowry missed 10 games between December 14 and January 5[94] due to a sore left thigh (four games)[95] and a sore lower back (six games).[96] On March 3, he scored a season-high 35 points in a 112–107 overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons.[97] On March 8, he had 13 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds in a 127–104 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.[98] In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Lowry scored 30 points and had seven 3-pointers in a 108–100 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. His seven 3-pointers was a season high, a playoff career high, and one off his career high.[99] In Game 5 against Milwaukee, Lowry surpassed DeMar DeRozan (1,117) as the franchise's postseason scoring leader.[100] In Game 6, he scored 17 points to help lead the Raptors into the NBA Finals for the first time with a 100–94 victory.[101] In Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, Lowry recorded 26 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds in a 114–110 series-clinching win over the Golden State Warriors, thus helping the Raptors win their first NBA championship in franchise history.[102]

On October 7, 2019, Lowry signed a one-year $31 million extension with the Raptors.[103] On November 2, 2019, Lowry scored a season-high 36 points in a 115–105 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.[104] On November 8, 2019, Lowry was injured during the 122–102 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans for a sore thumb and sat out for 2 weeks missing 12 games. On December 3, 2019, he made his return against the Miami Heat. He scored 12 points along with 6 rebounds, 11 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in a 121–110 loss. On December 22, 2019, Lowry scored 20 of his game-high 32 points in the fourth quarter in a 110–107 victory against the Dallas Mavericks, helping the Raptors overcome a 30-point deficit, making it their biggest comeback victory in franchise history and the first 30-point comeback win in ten years.[105] On December 23, 2019, Lowry was named Eastern Conference Player of the week for games played between December 16–22.[106] On August 1, 2020, Lowry scored 33 points, along with a career-high 14 rebounds, while leading the Raptors to a 107–93 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. This was the Raptors first game in the Orlando bubble, returning from a 4-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[107] The Raptors were unable to defend their title as they were eliminated in seven games by the Boston Celtics in the second round.[108]

On January 14, 2021, after getting 16 points, six rebounds, and a season-high 12 assists in a 111–108 win against the Charlotte Hornets, Lowry recorded his 4,000th assist with the Raptors, joining Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard as the only players who have over 4,000 assists with their current teams.[109] On January 27, 2021, after a quick three-pointer against the Milwaukee Bucks, Lowry reached 10,000 points with the Raptors, joining Chris Bosh and DeMar DeRozan as the only players to reach that milestone with the franchise.[110] He had 21 points, five rebounds and three assists in a 115–108 loss. On January 31, 2021, Lowry had 12 points, six rebounds, and a season-high 15 assists in a 115–102 win against the Orlando Magic.[111] On February 2, 2021, Lowry had his first triple-double of the season, getting 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 123–108 win against the Magic.[112] On February 5, 2021, Lowry scored a season-high 30 points with five rebounds, seven assists and two steals in a 123–117 win against the Brooklyn Nets.[113]

• Toronto's all-time leader in Assists[123]
• Toronto's all-time leader in triple-doubles (nine) – Lowry has nine of the 21 triple-doubles in Raptors history[82]
• Toronto's leader in three-point field goals in a season (2013–14)[31]
• George Gross Sportsman of the Year award[124]