There was a very special moment last night (Monday) in Toronto as Raptors fans showed their love for one of the greatest players in team history.
Late in the game, Kyle Lowry (playing with Philly) was subbed in to receive a lengthy standing ovation.
While Kawhi Leonard gets a lot of the credit for the 2019 title run in Toronto, it was the earlier trade with Houston that brought Lowry to the team and started the process of building a championship lineup.
Lowry always set the tone, maintained a level presence, never bought into the hype when they were doing well, and never got down on his teammates when they struggled.
During the championship run, he was the first to say it wasn’t time to celebrate because “the job isn’t done yet”. It was Lowry who took some of the key shots, Lowry who ran the offence to perfection, and Lowry who drew some surprisingly tough defensive matchups which he always cherished and never ducked.
While never considered a superstar, he was the engine of the team. It was Lowry who provided the leadership, the motivation, the dignity and poise of a champion, and the respect for the game, the league, his teammates, the city, the fans and even his opponents.
I was in Toronto when Chris Bosh returned with the Miami heat. He was resoundingly booed, which I thought at the time was a shame.
Last night, Toronto fans redeemed themselves by showing respect, admiration and love for the person who started the process of putting a banner in the rafters and left on good terms after leaving it all on the court and cementing himself as possibly the greatest Raptor of all time.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
