When Kyle Lowry was traded from the Rockets to the Raptors in the summer of 2012, Toronto was a directionless, lost franchise. It had been above .500 just once in the previous 10 seasons and hadn’t gotten out of the first round of the playoffs since Vince Carter wore a Raptors uniform.
Lowry spearheaded a transformation on the court that, within a year, saw Toronto win 48 games and then beat that mark for the next six years, making the playoffs every season — and winning the NBA title in 2019. Lowry may not have always been the best player on those teams (although he made six-straight All-Star Games), but he was the leader, the player who changed the culture, who not only turned Toronto into a winner but also wanted to be north of the border and became active and invested in the community. He created a legacy unlike any other in franchise history.
G.R.O.A.T pic.twitter.com/MT2fJamZWp
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 7, 2026
After a 20-season NBA career, Kyle Lowry signed a one-day contract with Toronto on Tuesday so that he can retire a Raptor.
“This is home, and Toronto will always be home. Together we built something special here, and together we became champions,” Lowry said of his decision. “I always said I would retire as a Raptor, and to be able to do that today means everything to me.”
How Lowry became Raptors legend
Lowry was traded to Toronto for Gary Forbes and a first-round pick because Houston no longer believed in him and how far he could take the team. They sent him to a Toronto team and a franchise that didn’t believe in itself.
Lowry sparked something that changed Raptors’ history.
“Kyle is the Toronto Raptors — he created an identity for the Raptors that we strive to uphold every time we take the floor, play hard and play to win, for your teammates, for Toronto and for Canada. Put your body on the line. Take a charge, dive for a loose ball - do all the little things that don’t always show up in the box score, but add up to a storied, celebrated career,” Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said. “Kyle was the ultimate competitor whose No. 7 will always be remembered with the Raptors’ very first championship, and it’s our honor to raise it to the rafters, where it belongs.”
In nine seasons with the Raptors, Lowry averaged 17.5 points, 7.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game.
He is a true Raptors legend, who comes back to step away just as maybe his most famous teammate, Kawhi Leonard, returns to Toronto in the fall, hoping to take them back to the top of the East.
Somewhere during that season will be Kyle Lowry night, when his No. 7 jersey will be retired and hung in the rafters in Canada.
As it should be. He is the greatest Raptor ever.
