Raptors have built a team with Kyle Lowry's spirit as their guiding principle
Published: April 3, 2022 US time
Publisher: the Athletic
Article author: Eric Klein
Article translated by de Gaulle
Whether on the pitch or in life, Kyle Lowry is a very cautious person and rarely sees him do anything unplanned. Usually, he prefers to control things within the scope of his own foreseeability.
However, on the night of April 3, local time, a series of situations still exceeded his expectations. On this day, the Heat took on the Raptors away, the first time Lowry had come to Toronto as an away player since joining the Raptors in 2012. Moreover, last season, because of the epidemic, the Raptors did not play in Toronto all season. So for Lowry, this time is also his return to the stadium where he has been fighting for many years after 2 years.
For this special moment, Lowry made ample preparations, and he spent a lot of thought on what to wear when he arrived at the stadium. In addition to a well-fitting formal suit, the most striking thing is the diamond-encrusted, shiny and huge NBA championship ring he wears on his ring finger.
"My feeling is, 'I'm going home, so I have to wear some accessories that I think I'll wear when I go home.'" "For me, for this team, for this city, for this country, it's a very special existence. So, why don't I wear [the championship ring]? ”
For Lowry, he sees the Raptors as his home, which is not an exaggeration. In the past 9 seasons, he has accompanied this team through ups and downs, and in the team's journey to win the championship, he has made irreplaceable credit to others. So now that he's back as an opponent, the Raptors are still full of affection for him. And Lowry himself is also full of feelings for this team. Before returning to Toronto, Lowry said that he would try not to shed tears and avoid making himself a basketball meme.
This goal did succeed at first, but when Lowry walked to the center of the stadium with his two sons, and all the fans on the scene stood up to give him two minutes of applause and cheers, Lowry instantly broke the defense. "It really means a lot to me to see the fans express so much affection for me, and the emotions that my former teammates and brothers have expressed together," Lowry said, "and a lot of things are unforgettable when they first happen, and today is one of them, and you will never forget this day." ”
In order to welcome Lowry, the Raptors officially prepared a tribute video. In more than 2 minutes of mixed cuts, Lowry's years of playing for the Raptors are presented one by one. However, what makes Lowry even more happy and happy is that the Raptors have not become devastated by the departure of him and other main players. They played back and forth with the Heat, who were no. 1 in the East, and eventually lost the game only by a score of 109-114. And even if the Raptors lose, they are still in sixth place in the East, and there is a great probability that they can skip the playoffs and directly advance to the playoffs.
"They played really hard every night," Lowry said as an opponent before the game, "they are a team that can cover the whole stadium, full of athletic talent, very competitive." At the same time, the players have a tacit understanding and never give up. Seeing them now, I will think of who we were, even if we were 15 points behind in the fourth quarter, we would still look for ways to win, to deduct every detail, to fight until the last moment. And now, they still play like this. It seems that there is never a moment on the pitch where they will feel like they have no hope of winning at all. ”
As Lowry said, such a tenacious style has penetrated deep into the genes of the Raptors. Whether it's winning the title three years ago or now ranking in the top six in the East, it's an excellent embodiment of this style. "When we look back over the years and look back at every bit of this team," Raptors coach Nas said, "Kyle [Lowry] definitely has to be credited with a lot of credit, and that team style is inextricably linked to him, that's for sure." ”
Although Nas's words have a certain compliment component, looking back at the raptors' development in recent years, we can indeed see the important role that Lowry has played in it. In addition to shaping the iron-blooded spirit for this team, he has also set a benchmark and established a set of models for the Raptors in terms of tactics and lineup construction. During Lowry's time with the Raptors, the team was equipped with a guard like him who was as stout as he was, and at the same time scrappy, VanVleet, which also allowed the Raptors to start over on the tactical level after Lowry left, which largely ensured that the Raptors would not have a cliff-like decline in the lineup.
At the same time, the Raptors' gritty team character has also been perfectly inherited. Even in a game full of different emotions like "Lowry Comes Home," many of the Raptors' players, even former teammates who have been fighting alongside Lowry for years, have not been bothered by much of a similar emotion. Van Vleet, who was opposite Lowry, was in hot shape at the beginning, and in the first quarter, he hit his 238th three-pointer of the season, breaking the regular season three-point shooting record set by Lowry during his time with the Raptors. In the following matches, the two also had many confrontations, and Van Vliet never saved face for his old teammates.
"He's going to be one of the people who's going to lead this team forward," Lowry said of VanVleet, "and he's going to be the cornerstone of the team because he's a really perfect match for this team: his attitude to hard work, his passion for playing is top-notch." And, he will continue to improve in the future. I also kept telling him to keep moving forward and not to stop. ”
Seeing the old owner fighting with his own real knife and gun on the field, Lori naturally will not relax. Although the Heat still rank first in the East, the Celtics, Bucks and 76ers behind them have not relaxed their pursuit, and each team is eyeing their position. With little left in the regular season, the outcome of every game is crucial.
Therefore, on the field, Lowry, who has returned to the same place, has no mercy on his subordinates. In the third quarter, he used his outstanding rhythm of control to put Siakam into foul trouble, so that the Heat always had a firm grip on the game situation. In the fourth quarter, the Heat's Strus performed well, but Lowry would occasionally burst into cold arrows. For example, in the first 6 minutes and 09 seconds of the final game, when the Raptors led 91-90, Lowry's three-pointer in the bottom corner helped the Heat regain the advantage. He scored the ball in front of the Raptors' bench. Everything seems to be the same as before, except that Lori is already wearing a hot suit.
After the game, Lowry greeted and hugged his old acquaintances, and in his hand, he firmly grasped the ball used for the game. As he greeted the fans, tears welled up again.
"It's going to be a memory that I'll remember for a long time," Lowry said, "and I got the final victory, so it felt sweeter in this moment." Even if I don't win in the end, tonight will be a good night, a special night. ”