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Raptors fans flood social media to thank Kyle Lowry, wish him well in Miami

steven psihogios
·4 min read

For fans of the Toronto Raptors, an era came to an end on Monday.

It was reported by Yahoo Sports senior NBA writer Vincent Goodwill that Raptors legend Kyle Lowry inked a three-year deal with the Miami Heat in a sign-and-trade with Toronto.

Lowry spent nine years in Toronto and his impact on the franchise and its fan base was immeasurable. The six-time all-star helped usher in the most successful run in Raptors history which culminated in an NBA championship in 2019.

He leaves the organization as the all-time leader in assists (4,277), three-pointers (1,518), steals (873), and triple-doubles (16).

His impact on the city extended far beyond the court, and Mayor John Tory's statement illustrated that sentiment perfectly.

Our city has gone through a lot over the past year, but this one really hurts

Kyle Lowry is the Greatest Raptor of All Time. Everyone knows that.

He has the stats to back it up: all-time leader in assists, steals, three-pointers made, and playoff wins. But it's more than that. He showed our city who we want to be. The fighter. The leader. The player who's got your back and leads the charge. Who takes the charge. Who falls down and gets back up. Again and again.

Kyle Lowry earned Toronto a championship by setting the tone, refusing to lose, and leading by example. Over nine incredible years of fight and perseverance and joy, he brought us to our feet and made us believe.

Like Kyle, Toronto is not the tallest, not the most athletic, not the fanciest, but we play hard and we win. Nothing stops us because we have heart. And we value heart.

Kyle Lowry showed us how to win, but also how to treat our friends, elevate our teammates, celebrate our children and the joy they bring us. He stood up for what's right and called out injustice and Anti-Black racism. He was a role model for many and an inspiration to all of us.

He is the player who works harder than anyone, on and off the court. And I want to thank him for the joy and pride he brought Toronto, for being there when Masai [Ujiri] needed a friendly face to pull him onto the court where he belonged, and for providing for Toronto families who needed some extra help, through his Lowry Love Foundation.

Kyle Lowry united the Raptors and Toronto, and made a whole country cheer. He will be missed but he will not be forgotten And trust me: when it's safe, he will be celebrated.

I'm confident that one day when the time is right, just as we have celebrated other great players from our other great championship teams, there will be a statue celebrating his legacy in our city.

Kyle, we will compete hard against you to win. But we will always love you and Toronto will always welcome you. Thank you Kyle Lowry.

TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 17: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors waves to fans after he reached his 5,000 career assist early in the second half of an NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Scotiabank Arena on January 17, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
Kyle Lowry will go down as the greatest Raptor of all time. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

Even Champagne Papi himself, Drake, took to Instagram to recognize the ex-Raptor for his contributions.

Along with the mayor and Drizzy, loads of Raptors and basketball fans took to Twitter to celebrate Lowry's career in Toronto, including Drake.

Lowry hasn't released a statement addressing Toronto yet, but he seems really happy to be heading to Miami.

While no longer part of the team, Lowry will always have a spot in Raptors fans' hearts.

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