There’s never been a doubt in Kyle Lowry’s mind about which team he’ll walk into the sunset with.
Ahead of perhaps his final games in Toronto on Sunday and Monday, Lowry confirmed his intention to sign a one-day contract and retire as a member of the Raptors when he finally decides to call it a career.
“My goal — and I’ve committed to this and I’ll go from what I say — I will sign a one-day contract and retire as a Raptor. That has not changed,” Lowry told reporters ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers’ showdown in Scotiabank Arena.
Despite being away from Toronto for the past five seasons, Lowry has remained firm in his love for the city, going so far as to show up to Sunday’s game against the Raptors in an Auston Matthews Maple Leafs jersey.
He has said in the past, multiple times, that he intends to retire as a Raptor, going so far as to tell Andscape’s Marc Spears in 2021 — following his trade to the Miami Heat — that Toronto is “still home” and that retiring as a Raptor is his “everything.”
Lowry reiterated that point in a visit to Toronto while with the Miami Heat in 2023, saying that “I’m definitely retiring a Raptor.”
Largely considered the greatest Raptor of all time, his spot in the rafters of Scotiabank has also become something of a sure thing once he decides to call it a career.
The Raptors have only retired one jersey over the franchise’s history, sending Vince Carter’s No. 15 into the rafters in Nov. 2024. But Lowry’s No. 7 will almost certainly be the next to never be worn by another member of the team.
Asked about that possibility on Sunday, Lowry joked that “I don’t know if it’s gonna go up,” but ceded to his emotions soon after.
“Y’all ever seen me cry?” Lowry said when asked about what will go through his head and heart when he sees his jersey go up. “It depends on how Matt (Devlin, Raptors commentator) … He might be the emcee. If he does, and when he does, it would be a super emotional day.
“I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into that (No. 7), and the fact that it probably won’t ever be worn again, it would be pretty special. I think it’s something that, for my basketball legacy, it’s gonna be pretty darn cool.”
Lowry, 39, hasn’t seen much action with his hometown 76ers this season, playing in only five games and averaging only 8.6 minutes a night in those appearances, but much like his years in Toronto, his impact is measured far beyond the boxscore as the heartbeat of whatever team he plays for.
And while he no longer wears the red and black of the Raptors, and while his numbers pale in comparison to how they looked over his nine years in Toronto, there’s a reason why the six-time all-star has a seat in the 76ers locker room and why Scotiabank Arena has a spot in the rafters waiting for his last name and number.
