07/07/26 08:28:00
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07/07 08:27 CDT Kyle Lowry makes good on a promise: He signs with the Raptors
so he can retire
Kyle Lowry makes good on a promise: He signs with the Raptors so he can retire
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer
Kyle Lowry delivered on his final promise as a player: He long vowed to re-sign
with the Toronto Raptors so he could retire as a member of that franchise.
And on Tuesday, he made it happen.
Lowry --- one of 12 players in NBA history to play 20 seasons in the league ---
announced on social media that he is signing with the Raptors and will retire,
ending his career with the team that he helped lead to the 2019 NBA
championship and in the city that he considers home.
It's a ceremonial one-day contract, and Lowry confirmed that plan before a
scheduled news conference in Toronto later Tuesday. The date of the
announcement --- July 7, or 7/7 --- is a clear nod to the No. 7 jersey he wore
with the Raptors.
"Thank you to my family, my friends, my teammates, my coaches, my opponents,
the staff, the media and especially the fans," Lowry said. "It's all about you.
I appreciate you. Thank you. Thank you, Toronto. Thank you, Canada. And as I
always told y'all, it's officially happening. I'm retiring as a Toronto Raptor
--- 20 years and one day."
Tributes immediately starting pouring in after Lowry posted the video, many
paying homage to the player whom Toronto fans call the GROAT --- the Greatest
Raptor of All-Time.
The 40-year-old Lowry is a Philadelphia native who played in college for
Villanova before entering the NBA in 2006. For now, he's one of only two point
guards to play 20 seasons --- Chris Paul is the other, and Mike Conley Jr. will
join that list this season.
Lowry ended his playing career in his actual hometown, spending this past
season with the 76ers and appearing in 14 games. He formally called it a career
in the city that he considers home, Toronto, the place where he became both an
All-Star and a champion.
Lowry is a six-time All-Star, with all of those appearances coming during his
stint in Toronto. He won an Olympic gold medal with the United States at the
2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, was an All-NBA selection in 2015-16 and had a new
job even before his playing days ended; he was announced last year as an
analyst for Prime Video.
Lowry was the No. 24 pick in the 2006 NBA draft by Memphis. He also played for
Houston and Miami, along with the 76ers and Raptors. He averaged 13.8 points
and six assists per game, and his 2,209 made 3-pointers ranks 14th in NBA
history.
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