Kyle Lowry made good on his word. The veteran point guard signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the Toronto Raptors on July 7 — 7/7, his jersey number — and officially announced his retirement from the NBA after 20 seasons, ending a career that cemented him as the greatest player in franchise history.
Lowry, 40, long vowed that he would finish his playing days as a Raptor, and the franchise ensured that promise was kept. The sides chose the date deliberately: July 7, allowing Lowry to enter retirement wearing the only number that ever truly fit. Toronto will retire his No. 7 jersey in the coming season, with the exact date to be confirmed once the NBA schedule is released.
"This is it," Lowry said in a social-media video announcing his decision. "Thank you to my family, my friends, my teammates, my coaches, my opponents, the staff, the media and especially the fans. It's all about you. I appreciate you. I'm retiring as a Toronto Raptor — 20 years and one day."
Lowry's impact on the Raptors — and on Canadian basketball as a whole — is difficult to overstate. Acquired by Toronto in a 2012 trade with the Houston Rockets, he transformed from a promising guard into a six-time All-Star and the linchpin of the franchise's first and only NBA championship in 2019. He remains the Raptors' all-time leader in assists and steals, and fans have long referred to him as the GROAT — the Greatest Raptor of All-Time.
"I think watching him play basketball stirred everybody's heart," Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said during a press conference. "He played a brand of basketball that very few in the NBA have matched. Every possession for him was life and death."
Lowry entered the NBA in 2006 after a college career at Villanova and is one of only 12 players to have played 20 NBA seasons. He is one of two point guards to achieve that milestone, alongside Chris Paul; Mike Conley Jr. is poised to join them this season. He spent his final campaign with the Philadelphia 76ers, appearing in 14 games before calling time.
The retirement announcement carried an additional layer: Lowry and his wife, Ayahna Cornish-Lowry, are now part-owners of the WNBA's expansion franchise, the Toronto Tempo, further deepening their ties to the city's basketball ecosystem.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow proclaimed July 7 as "Kyle Lowry Day" in the city, reflecting the bond between a player and a fanbase that adopted him as one of their own.
"He holds a special place in Toronto's story," Chow said in the proclamation. "We thank him for the years he gave to the Raptors, the memories he created for fans and the role he played in the growth of basketball across Canada."
Lowry's former teammate Kawhi Leonard, who won Finals MVP alongside him in 2019, attended the press conference. The Raptors have planned a weekend-long celebration for September, along with three theme nights during the regular season dedicated to Lowry's legacy.
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/kyle-lowry-nba-raptors-retires-30dc2e37fde56c5b7f52d61cbcd4c47b
