"I will sign a one-day contract, and I’ll retire as a Toronto Raptor" - Kyle Lowry declares his intention to retire with the Toronto Raptors after forging an unbreakable bond with the franchise
Kyle Lowry has said that he would retire as a Toronto Raptor even if that meant he would have to sign a one-day contract. He will go down as one of the greatest players to wear a Toronto Raptors jersey. Lowry led the franchise to an NBA title, and established an emotional connection to the fanbase and community.
He was key in helping Kawhi Leonard settle in despite not being happy with the move, as his best friend DeMar DeRozan got traded to the San Antonio Spurs. Nevertheless, he kept the team together, and led them to a brilliant playoffs run that culminated in a championship. The Raptors are likely to retire his jersey when he calls time on his career.
Now with the Miami Heat, the 35-year-old said in an interview with The Undefeated's Marc Spears that Toronto was his home, and it meant everything to him. Here's what he said:
"And, yeah, everybody says you could just live in Canada, but you’d have to get a Canadian citizenship to live there. And I don’t think I would’ve lived there for the rest of my life. But I’ll be able to go back. That’s still home. Like I’ve said, and I’ll say it now, I will sign a one-day contract, and I’ll retire as a Toronto Raptor. That is my everything.
Exclusive interview with new #Heat guard Kyle Lowry in @TheUndefeated in which he explains why he left the Raptors, why he chose Miami, why he isn’t looking forward to returning to play in Toronto, his Heat-related big Thanksgiving plans and much more. bit.ly/3HJw9pG
The six-time All-Star averaged 17.2 points, 7.3 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 601 games during his nine-year stint with the Raptors. However, the box scores don't highlight his importance for the franchise and the community.
Lowry will retire as the greatest Raptor not for his stats but for his leadership, both on and off the court, and for leading a team no one expected to win an NBA championship.
Kyle Lowry comments on the bond formed with his Raptors teammates
During the same interview, Kyle Lowry also spoke about the bond he created off the court with his fellow championship-winning players such as Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Fred VanVleet,
He said it was a proud moment to watch them play and see his little brothers grow. Lowry added that he would cheer them on no matter what the situation is, and that they created bonds that would remain forever. Here's what he said:
"The sweet part about me leaving was, now Freddy (VanVleet) gets all the attention; OG (Anunoby]) gets all the attention. Pascal (Siakam) gets even more of the attention. I left the franchise in a great place to my little brothers. They are truly my little brothers. No, they are family. They are equals to me. They’re just younger than me.
He added, saying:
"They’re taking it from me and saying, ‘We got you.’ And it’s a proud moment. I still watch their games. I’ve talked to Freddy. I’ve talked to OG, and I’ve texted Pascal before his first game. I still talk to (ex-Raptors guard) Norm (Powell). We’ve created bonds that we will have forever. And those are people, those are kids and guys that are men now that I’ll support and cheer for no matter what the situation is.
🎥 KL2 embrace after clinching the @Raptors NBA title! 🏆
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On this day (June 13, 2019) the Toronto Raptors won their first NBA championship. https://t.co/xGZE0iVuhN
Lowry will now focus on recreating the same magic to help the Miami Heat win an NBA championship before he heads back to the other side of the border to wrap up his career.