Canada
Kyle Lowry likely makes final on-court appearance in Toronto
Kyle Lowry really wasn’t sure he was going to get to play in Toronto one last time. He knew it would take a sizable 76ers lead for head coach Nick Nurse to call him up from the far end of Philadelphia’s bench.
Fortunately, Lowry’s teammates knew it too.
After nearly six minutes of “We want Lowry!” chants and the Sixers holding a 16-point lead, the 20-year NBA veteran was subbed in for the final two minutes of Philadelphia’s 115-102 victory over the Raptors on Monday.
Although Lowry went 0-for-3 in his limited play time, he didn’t really care.
“Our team came out with an extreme focus, and I think that was part of their plan, to make sure I got an opportunity to get in there,” said Lowry, who led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship with Nurse as Toronto’s head coach. “I’ve got some great teammates and a great coach who understands the moment, who I have a championship with, but it was a good team win for us.
“I got an opportunity to experience probably one of the greatest basketball moments of my personal career.”
With the 76ers in Toronto for a back-to-back, Nurse had said he would do his best to get Lowry into one of the games.
Nurse didn’t get that opportunity in Sunday’s 116-115 overtime loss, so on Monday the 18,127 fans at Scotiabank Arena made it very clear they wanted to see Lowry — arguably one of the greatest Raptors ever — back on the court one final time before he likely retires at the end of this season.
“They are the greatest fans in the world to me,” said Lowry at a post-game news conference. “They’ve been supportive of me and my career. A lot of the things I’ve accomplished in my career was in front of these fans.
“That’s why this place is so special to me.”
Nurse heard the “We want Lowry!” chants clear as a bell.
“I thought they didn’t think I was really going to do it, but I was planning on it there and got a good moment to do it,” said Nurse, who pulled star guard Tyrese Maxey for Lowry. “It was nice to be able to bring him in on his own there.”
Lowry was selected 24th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2006 NBA Draft, playing there for three seasons before being traded to the Houston Rockets in February 2009. After four seasons in Houston, he was sent to the Toronto Raptors during the 2012 off-season.
It was the best fit of his career, and Lowry spent nine seasons in Toronto, helping the Raptors win their only NBA championship.
Lowry was sent to the Miami Heat in 2021, helping that team reach the 2023 NBA Finals. In 2024, he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets — although he never played for them — before joining his hometown Sixers via a contract buyout.
Nurse said on Sunday that the veteran has been great as a mentor on and off the court for the 76ers this season.
“We’ve got a bunch of young guards, who, obviously, he’s been able to help,” said Nurse. “He really wanted to make it to his 20th season. I think that’s quite a milestone.”
Lowry is averaging 1.2 points, 1.4 assists and 0.6 rebounds per game this season, well below his career averages of 13.9 points, six assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. Nurse said the six-time all-star brings a lot more to the court than just statistics, however, calling him one of the three hardest-working players he’s ever coached.
“It’s good to have somebody that’s won a lot that knows what’s good for the team, what isn’t,” said Nurse. “There’s times when I’ll be leaning on them and he’ll be behind me and say, ‘hey, you know, he needs to lean on us right now. This is what it takes.’”
Lowry, who was laughing and joking with Toronto media throughout his pre-game availability, said he was enjoying his new role.
“It’s been stress-free. It’s been fun. The thing about being in this type of role is it’s a challenge,” said Lowry. “You’ve got to find ways to challenge yourselves.
“The challenge for me is to help these guys every single day, be into the game plan, understanding the game plan, understanding what we want to do as a team.”
As much as Lowry is enjoying what is potentially his final NBA season, he confirmed there is one more team he’d like to sign with before officially retiring.
“My goal, and I’ve committed to this, and I never go from what I say, I will sign a one-day contract and retire as a Raptor,” said Lowry. “That has not changed.”