Why Kyle Lowry deserves to be in the Hall of Fame
Kyle Lowry is a Hall of Famer. Yes, it has been said. Lowry has been one of the more productive players of the past decade. While the start of his career began on a low key note he has turned himself into one of the best point guards of his generation. Lowry isn’t as flashy as most point guards, but he plays with an exceptionally well-rounded style. There’s no coincidence that the Toronto Raptors winning have lined up with his All-Star play
Drafted out of Villanova in the first round, he failed to find solid footing in over two seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies. Lowry was traded to the Houston Rockets. He showed flashes of improvement before joining the Raptors via trade in 2012. By the time he arrived as an All-Star, he was 27 years old with seven average seasons under his belt. But with the Raptors, something special clicked.
Since arriving in Toronto, he has helped establish a new culture. Since his first All-Star season, the Raptors have averaged 53.5 wins and won five Atlantic Division titles. The culture he helped established was “We the North”. He led the team to multiple Eastern Conference Finals appearances with DeMar DeRozan. After the team reached their peak with the duo, they traded for Kawhi Leonard. The following season ended in an NBA championship for the first time in team history.
Let’s take a blind look at his resume. If an NBA point guard was a 6-time All-Star, All-NBA player, culture changer, top 5 player in the team's history, gold medalist, and an NBA Champion, would that be a Hall of Famer? Lowry numbers are very comparable to point guards in the Hall of Fame now. Lowry averages are similar to Dennis Johnson of the Boston Celtics. He’s also the career assists leader in Raptors' history.
“I just think he’s the heart and soul of this franchise,” head coach Nick Nurse stated. “You just keep changing everything around him and he keeps pumping out wins."
This year, Lowry has especially shown his worth. With Kawhi Leonard leaving many predicted that the Raptors would struggle to reach the playoffs. But not on Lowry's watch. The Raptors are a top 3 team in the East.
With the changes in the roster and coaching changes, the main factor has always been Lowry. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame takes into account one's full contributions to the game of basketball. He’s a player whose jersey will be retired and is one of the best point guards of the 2010s.