Front Burner - The end of an era: Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors

Episode Date: August 4, 2021

Kyle Lowry’s Toronto Raptors career is coming to an end after nine seasons. Sports writer Alex Wong looks back at his legacy on and off the court, through victory and defeat.

In the Dragon's Den, a simple pitch can lead to a life-changing connection. Watch new episodes of Dragon's Den free on CBC Gem. Brought to you in part by National Angel Capital Organization, empowering Canada's entrepreneurs through angel investment and industry connections. This is a CBC Podcast. Hi, I'm Anthony Narestan, filling in for Jamie Poisson. Alright, so today we're bringing you an episode we don't want to be bringing you. Kyle Lowry, the man who led the Toronto Raptors to their first and only NBA championship, is headed to the Miami Heat.

The six-foot-tall point guard from Philadelphia spent nearly a decade with the Raptors. He left an indelible mark on the team, the city of Toronto, and on basketball in Canada. Today, we're speaking to sports writer Alex Wong on the legacy of Kyle Lowry. Hello, Alex. Welcome back to Front Burner. Hey. So Alex, we thought this was going to happen earlier this year, but it didn't. Now that we're here, tell me, what was your reaction when you first heard the news that Kyle Lowry was traded? Yeah, you know, I think you brought up a really good point in terms of you know in march at the trade deadline there was the expectation that kyle lowry was going to be traded and so to me to be honest my personal reaction was um you know this this was something that was expected

you know i think that the raptors are on a particular timeline right now coming off a championship two years ago they're now rebuilding their roster and kyle's at a point in his career where he's only really got maybe four to five years left and he wants to maximize those years and have an opportunity to win a championship and earn the most money and when you look at those two factors i think the raptors were never going to beat out the other teams and you know it seemed like half of the nba was was you know vying for kyle's services as they should be because he's still you know playing at a very high level so hearing the news that he was going to miami honestly was was not a surprise and i feel like myself and a lot of other people in toronto we already said our goodbyes to to kyle

in march i will say this i will retire as a toronto Raptor. If I'm here, I will retire as a Toronto Raptor. That's a one-day contract. Hey, whatever happens. So for people that are listening who might not know or understand the impact that Kyle Lowry had, can you tell me a bit about what he means to the Raptors and to Raptors fans? to the Raptors and to Raptors fans? Yeah, so, you know, I think on the court, you know, Kyle's always been one of the most underrated point guards in the league, you know, his his numbers, when you look at counting stats might not stand out. But you know, you talk to anybody who's ever played with him or against him, you know, he is one of the best leaders in the NBA, he's one of the best point guards, you know, the statistics back it up, basically, during Kyle's nine years here, you know, regardless of which other four players that you put on the floor you know the Raptors were always a winning team the Raptors were always in contention they always

won around 50 games every season and that was all because of Kyle and you know I think when you look at Kyle's overall impact too you think about where the Raptors were when he came here and then you think about where Kyle was in his career when he came here he wasn't this all-star point guard this championship point guard I think it's everybody's first thought when they get traded um it's like okay you know wow you know I've been traded all right cool you know it takes a couple days to actually realize you know okay it's a new opportunity it's a new place new uh new chapter in the book. Let's go. He had bounced around. He had butt heads with some coaches, and he butt heads with coaches here too.

But he had this reputation of just being this journeyman point guard. And he grew into a champion here in Toronto, and he lifted the Raptors franchise to heights that they've never been before. How does a young guy from North Philly, who had all kinds of questions about him, not tall enough, not fast enough, not athletic, how does he become an NBA champion? Hard work, never saying anybody, never letting nobody tell you you can't do something special, and just a great group of guys. I mean, yeah, I can't really think right now. This is crazy.

This is awesome, man. Toronto, Canada, we, I can't really think right now. This is crazy. This is awesome, man. Toronto, Canada, we brought it home, baby. We brought it home. You talk about his impact on the team as far as his style of play and just the presence he had within the team, but specifically focusing on that championship, that incredible championship playoff run from a few years ago. Can you tell me what role he played during that run and how important he was to the team?

Yeah, you know, I think Kyle played a huge part on both ends of the floor. You know, one of the most underrated parts about Kyle Lowry is his defense. And again, it's not just individual defense. It's just little things that he does. he's able to sniff out other teams plays he's able to draw charges which he's most famous for he's able to organize the rest of the team when they're on the floor and in one of the games that you know people when they look back on the championship run always talk about is game seven against the philadelphia 76ers and i'm sure everyone listening remembers kawi Leonard's shot. You know, that's obviously the most iconic moment during the championship run. But for basketball fans who watch the team maybe closer than the casual fans,

you know, Kyle did a lot of remarkable things in that game and throughout the championship run on the defense event. You know, the Raptors played incredible defense in that game, especially in the fourth quarter. And so much of that was Kyle. And, you know, I think it's hard a lot of times to describe Kyle's impact because it honestly does come from watching him over a period of time and just appreciating kind of the cumulative things that he does instead of you know you're never going to see Kyle Lowry you know have a slam dunk or be on the opposite end of a alley-oop that shows up on SportsCenter but

it's it's really the little things and and I think that's why he's gone so underappreciated for so long. I want to take a step back to going back to before Kyle Lowry arrived and became a Toronto Raptor. What was the state of the franchise at that time? And can you tell me a bit about how Lowry changed that? Yeah. So, you know, at the time, can you tell me a bit about how Lowry changed that yeah so you know at the time Brian Colangelo was the general manager so this was before just before Masai Ujiri came and that this was a few years after Chris Bosh had left Toronto in free agency and gone to Miami to team up and win two championships with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and if we go back before Chris Bosh it you know, a dark period after the Raptors had traded Vince Carter, who requested out of Toronto to go to New Jersey. So you're talking about probably a decade of, you know, Raptors basketball in the post Vince Carter era, where

they made the playoffs a few times were eliminated in the first round, but clearly, just we're not in the conversation in the NBA, they were just not a relevant franchise. And, you know, Kyle came here, and obviously, there was a series of other moves to. You know, I think we can't talk about this era without mentioning DeMar DeRozan's impact as well. But once Kyle and DeMar was here, you know, they turned the Raptors along with head coach Dwayne Casey into a winning program. It's no coincidence that the Raptors' greatest years have coincided with Kyle Lowry being on the floor. And, you know, Masai Ujiri's arrival helped with that too. The All-Star Game came here.

They got a new practice facility. And the Raptors just became a more credible franchise. And they started to win behind Kyle and DeMar as well. And if you jump forward now, nine years after Kyle arrived here, people around the league talk about the Raptors as one of the most respected organizations. And Kyle Lowry's fingerprints are all over that. And it just felt like it was a gradual process. I don't have the exact years in my head, but it felt like they would make the playoffs, losing the first round to Brooklyn, for example, when they had Kevin Garnett.

It felt like leading up to that championship, it was just a gradual process of the Raptors getting just a little bit better every year. Yeah. And, you know, there was a lot of heartbreak along the way, like you mentioned, you know, getting swept in the first round by the Washington Wizards, you know, losing to LeBron James in what seemed like, you know, every single year. And, you know, it seemed like the Raptors had really reached a ceiling in terms of what they had built. And then obviously the trade for Kawhi Leonard really pushed them over the top. But, you know, for me, the 2019 championship run will obviously be about Kawhi, but for me, it's always about Kyle Lowry because he represented the journey of these Raptors. You know, he had been criticized leading up to the 2019 playoff run about his up and down performances in the

playoffs you know there was one series when they played against the miami heat where you know he was in such a shooting slump that after a game one loss he went back onto the court to get shots up after a playoff game which is something that you just never saw before you know from from players and you know for him to have the performance that he had in 2019 during the championship run, score the first 11 points in this championship clinching game in game six against the Golden State Warriors. Leonard finds Lowry. Lowry's been hot. That continues. Kyle Lowry. And all of these great moments, it really just, I think, represented the whole journey that the Raptors fans went on over this past decade.

You know, we've touched on Kyle Lowry, the basketball player, but let's talk about the person, the human being. He's really, really loved by the team and by by Canada really can you tell me what is it about him that makes him so lovable yeah you know I think Kyle's one of those one of those guys who's really prickly to his superiors you know whether it's coaches or even general manager it's been well documented that you know he's had some ups and downs with Masai Ujiri, but he's beloved by his teammates and he's beloved by fans because I think he never makes anything about himself, whether it's on the court or off the court. You know, he does a lot of stuff, you know, off the court with, you know, Sick Kids Hospital, you know, Thanksgiving food drives, a lot of those things in the community, you know, that's entrenched him with the city of Toronto. And one of the best examples I can give to really describe Kyle Lowry

is you know during the 2020 season there was a regular season game where the Raptors came back from 30 points down to the Dallas Mavericks in the second half and then Kyle Lowry was instrumental like he was the engine for for that one of the most remarkable comebacks not just in Raptors history but just league history and after the, when they asked him about his performance, he never answered a single question and talked about himself. All he did was heap praise on his teammates, even though everybody in the room knew that it was Kyle who was responsible for this comeback. Lowry has got so hot from the outside, or taking it to the basket.

Malcolm, Terrence Davis, Ron Day and chris boucher uh i give them all the credit today they won that game give those guys the credit man seriously and that's what kyle has always been like he's always talked about wanting the young players to develop wanting them to get paid and wanting the best for his teammates and you know to me you know i think sometimes in sports maybe we overrate you know, to me, you know, I think sometimes in sports, maybe we overrate, you know, terms like leadership and like intangibles. But for me, Kyle really brought those things. And he didn't just bring those things, but he was also a great player.

And combined, that made him who he was. I grew from an immature kid trying to find his way. And, oh, man, why is everybody this, that, and the other? To, all right, man, all right, how do I help this young guy get better? How do I help, you know, this guy get paid? You know, he's a pretty serious dude on the basketball court. Like, he's an intense competitor, but he's also a pretty funny guy as well. I'm wondering if you can tell me or give me some of your favorite,

funniest Kyle Lowry moments in Toronto. Yeah, you know, it's funny. I think if people just Google Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan on YouTube, you'll see a lot of just funny interactions between them. I go based off that. These days, it's not like I got to have the mindset to go out there and I got to score 30, 40 points. I go out there and play aggressive.

You just had 37. What you mean? I didn't go out there saying, let me score 30 tonight. But I'm saying you had 37. Don't say it like that. But I'm saying I didn't go out there saying. But all I'm saying, you can't say that when you had 37. Listen to what I'm trying to explain, though, bro. I understand what you're saying.

Obviously, they were great friends. One of the things that actually I always want to point people to is just the pregame routine that that he used to do uh when he played at home at scotia bank arena you know when when the lights would dim at the arena and the and the pa announcer would introduce the starters kyle was you know usually the last player that was introduced and he would make all his teammates get down kind of in this line and do a series of just like sit-ups, push-ups, and workout routines as he walked by them and high-fived them. And that was honestly, for fans and I think even for media watching, that was always one of the best highlights was when new players came to the Raptors and the first time the starting lineup was introduced, they would all look so bewildered at what everybody was doing in the line but they would eventually learn and again that goes back I think to not just Kyle's sense of humor but the way he just kind of organizes and brings the team together. In the Dragon's Den, a simple pitch can lead to a life-changing connection. Watch new episodes of Dragon's Den free on CBC Gem.

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I help you and your partner create a financial vision together. To listen to this podcast, just search for Money for Couples. You know, you mentioned Lowry's leadership. And one thing that comes to mind for me is that moment at the end of game six, when the Raptors clinched the championship and that confrontation between Messiah Jury and the security guard and what happened after with Kyle Lowry. Can you can you kind of walk me through that moment? Yeah. You know, as the clock was winding down and the Raptors were about to clinch their first championship you know messiah was trying to get on the court and you know one of

the security officers in oakland at oracle arena uh basically got into a physical confrontation with messiah and you know shoved him a few times even though messiah was trying to show his credential to get on the court and And, you know, this was obviously a very disappointing moment. And really, to be honest, devastating because this was like the height of Masai's career. You know, having just built this championship team and watched his team win it all. And, you know, Kyle really had no idea what was going on, obviously, right at that moment. But he saw Masai and he grabbed him. And, you know know they embraced it's a very iconic and memorable moment from that night because when you think about the relationship between Kyle and Masai you know to to put it nicely it's been uh

up and down you know over the nine years that he's been here in Toronto you know when Kyle first got here you know Masai sat down with Kyle and challenged him and then told, you know, over the nine years that he's been here in Toronto. You know, when Kyle first got here, you know, Masai sat down with Kyle and challenged him and then told him, you know, do you want to be this journeyman point guard who gets traded four or five times in your career? Or do you want to become an all-star? And, you know, there was also a lot of hard feelings after Masai traded Kyle's best friend, DeMar DeRozan. I mean, DeMar was very open this summer about feeling

betrayed. Did you feel betrayed? I felt betrayed because he felt betrayed because that's my guy, that's my best friend. So yeah, I felt some type of way. You know, Kyle and Masai famously didn't talk to each other for several months, probably longer than that. And that was during the championship season. There was a lot of kind of uncertainty and tension in the air to start and for it all to culminate and end with a championship and for them to kind of share that embrace on the court. You know, I think it was just such a great moment and really showed the growth and the evolution of their relationship over the nine years. Yeah. And one thing about Larry that stands out off the court, Alex, is he went to Philadelphia and he marched for the Black Lives Matter movement. And he's been very vocal about that issue on and off the court.

Nick Nurse said that he thought that the Star Spangled Banner and O Canada should be treated as one long song and you all knelt for both. What went into that decision and what were your emotions as you were doing that? I mean, honestly, to think about it, you know, I was on my knee for over four minutes and to think that a police officer could do that for eight minutes and 46 seconds, you know, Doc Rivers said that about two minutes and I was down there for eight and I indented my towel and it's a sad moment. Can you tell me a bit about the role he played there? You know, I think Kyle's always been one of the more prominent voices in the NBA. And sometimes, you know, when it comes to social justice issues, I think a lot of major professional sports leagues like to just attach one or two

familiar faces to it. But you know, Kyle's obviously done a lot of work, you know, behind the scenes, you know, in Philadelphia and just speaking out. And Kyle was also one of the members of the Players Association. And he was instrumental in just organizing the NBA bubble when the league shut down to figure out a way to bring the league back. So looking out for fellow players through his role at the Players Association. So he's had his hands in all of those things. So looking out for fellow players through his role at the Players Association. So he's had his hands in all of those things. And he's been around long enough where he had been around long enough with the Raptors to kind of be a sort of a mentor, I guess, to the younger players.

Can you tell me a bit about the effect he had in the locker room when it comes to grooming some of the younger players on that team? Yeah, you know, I think all you have to do is look at a player like fred van vliet you know he he came in and was undrafted and fred has talked so much about just the influence of not just playing alongside kyle but being able to pick kyle's brain about what it's like to be an nba pro like when i came into camp kyle didn't know me from a can of paint and you know he showed me the respect but i also demanded my respect i tell people all the time my first day at camp i thought i was trying to get to the gym you know early kyle had already been in there for an hour and a half

and then you know he comes up to me and says yo here rook carry this bag for me and like i'm like all right i'm in the nba i carry i carry all your bags if you want me to that's the thing about kyle is that even though he is leaving and he's joining the miami heat even for this next era of raptors basketball you're going to see kyle's fingerprints um all over it as well in pascal in og and anobi uh those are the players that have learned so much you know having spent the past few years with so much, you know, having spent the past few years with Kyle. So, you know, I think the one example I would always use is for Evan Fleet, and you look at the player that he's become, you know, I think everybody's looking to him now

to really take on the Kyle role, both on the court and off the court as a leader. It's interesting. You mentioned earlier how it's almost like Raptors fans already said their goodbyes. They saw this coming. It maybe should have happened earlier. But now that we're here, what can you tell me about what this means for the franchise moving forward i think this is a clear kind of signal that the raptors are moving towards a rebuilding period and i think when you look at the 2019 championship team there's only a few players that are left from there you know you think about the last time the raptors played in toronto which was in february 2020 you know

since then we've said goodbye to kyle lowry we've said goodbye to Kyle Lowry, we've said goodbye to Norman Powell, we've said goodbye to Sergi Baca and Marcus Soule. This is a clear signal that, you know, one era of Raptors basketball has ended. And you know, what this next era will be, remains to be seen. You know, the Raptors have a handful of exciting young players, you know, the recent first round draft pick Scottie Barnes they've obviously got Fred they've got Pascal Siakam and OG Ananobi but after that the roster is full of question marks so it's going to be interesting to see what this team does you know it might take a year or two to replenish the roster but then again you know under under Masai Jiri the Raptors have always had something up their sleeves you know they've always come up with a few surprising things so who knows maybe

I'm talking to you in two weeks about the Raptors trading for Damian Lillard who knows it's something like that it's it's funny because it's like you're expecting maybe like growing pains a couple of years or maybe they'll just find a way to retool on the fly and remain competitive in that Eastern Conference. Sticking with Lowry, as far as his career and his legacy, what does this step mean? I believe he's 35 years old, moving to Miami at this stage of his career. What does it mean for him, and what do you expect? You know, I think Kyle really wants to win a second championship. I think he's already established himself enough in terms of all-star appearances, the NBA championship in 2019, as a Hall of Fame player when he retires.

But, you know, I think he knows very well that a second championship will vault him into kind of this next tier, you know, when you're talking about all-time point guards. And he's going to a situation in Miami where they're going to have a contending team you know they were also just in the finals two seasons ago and you know they've got jimmy butler and they've got a really talented young center in bam out of bio and you know kyle lowry is one of those players like we talked about you put him on the floor with any players and he's going to raise the ceiling of that team and he's going to do exactly that in Miami. I'll just ask you straight up is Kyle the greatest Raptor of all time? Yeah you know that's a clear answer you know

it's a yes for me you know I think Vince Carter is the name that comes up a lot and you know I grew up watching Vince Carter and I understand the impact that Vince Carter not only had to the team but just to basketball but when you look at you know the longevity and just the amount he has contributed and built this franchise and sent it to a completely other level than than you know anyone can ever remember because i'm sure a lot of people listening remember when the raptors were just a footnote and an afterthought here in in toronto and they're not that any longer so it's clear that kyle is the greatest raptor of all time and I know a lot of fans have anointed him that and they've rightly done that to me it's almost like a temperature

check of if you're a real Raptors fan you know if you think Kyle isn't the greatest Raptor of all time then then I need to know how much Raptors basketball you've watched it's funny you say that because I grew up a huge Vince Carter fan. He's the reason why I started watching basketball. But I was just having this conversation with my brother and he was like, Vince was huge, but Kyle Lowry won. That's the big difference because Kyle Lowry completed his story in Toronto, right? Like Kyle Lowry didn't just come here and, you know, had some great years and left. He came here, he grew into an all-star player. And most importantly, like you said, he won a championship.

For sure, for sure. Well, a great career and end of an era for Raptors basketball. Alex, thank you very much for making time to be on the podcast. Thank you. Okay, before we go, some COVID news to mention. On Tuesday, Ontario unveiled its back-to-school plan for September. Students will have to wear masks indoors and will have to screen themselves every day for symptoms. Remote learning will still be an option,

even as students return to the classroom full-time. However, the plan had no details on managing COVID-19 outbreaks, has no threshold for shutting down classes or schools, and it doesn't indicate what level of transmission in the surrounding community might affect a school's operations. That's all for today. I'm Antonin Aristin. Thanks for listening to FrontBurner. For more CBC Podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.