The Raptors legend officially announced his retirement on Tuesday in a post on social media. He is also expected to formally announce it at a press conference in Toronto alongside general manager and executive vice-president Bobby Webster Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. ET.
“It’s official: I’m retiring as a Toronto Raptor,” Lowry says in a video in the post.
Sportsnet’s Michael Grange reported earlier in July that Tuesday’s announcement would be Lowry signing a one-day contract to retire as a Raptor. Lowry’s No. 7 is likely to hang in Scotiabank Arena someday, and Tuesday’s press conference date was fittingly 7/7.
Lowry, 40, is considered by many as the greatest Raptor of all-time after spending nine seasons with the club and helping lead it to its first-ever NBA title in 2019.
Known for his toughness and all-around play, Lowry made six all-star teams in his career — all as a Raptor — and was named a third-team all-NBA player after the 2015-16 season. He ends his career with per-game averages of 13.8 points, six assists and four rebounds.
Lowry stands as the Raptors’ franchise leader in assists, steals, three-pointers and triple-doubles while sitting second in games played and points. He also leads the franchise in playoff points and games, punctuated by his memorable performance in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, when he scored the first 11 Raptors points of the contest en route to victory.
The six-footer from Villanova was drafted 24th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2006 before being traded to the Houston Rockets during the 2008-09 season.
He spent three-and-a-half seasons with the Rockets before being moved to the Raptors in 2012 in exchange for a first-round pick, which Houston later used to acquire James Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
No one knew then the heights Lowry would achieve in Toronto. In fact, he had his bags packed as he was nearly traded to the New York Knicks in just his second season with the team while the Raptors considered bottoming out in pursuit of top Canadian prospect Andrew Wiggins. However, Knicks president James Dolan vetoed the deal, fearing he would get swindled by Raptors executive Masai Ujiri.
With Lowry in tow alongside DeMar DeRozan, the Raptors authored a stunning mid-season turnaround to reach the playoffs, starting a streak of seven consecutive post-season appearances.
The duo became the faces of the Raptors ‘We The North’ era, a period of consistency and a return to relevance that eventually became marked by playoff failures, most notably against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Ahead of the 2018-19 season, DeRozan — who had become very close with Lowry — was dealt to the San Antonio Spurs in a trade for Kawhi Leonard in a move Lowry was reportedly unhappy with.
In the end, of course, it all worked out as Lowry and the Raptors hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy that June.
Lowry would spend two more seasons in Toronto before being traded in the 2021 off-season to the Miami Heat, signalling the end of an era.
