Kyle Lowry Reiterates His Desire to Retire as a Raptor: 'That's My Everything'

Toronto Raptors legend Kyle Lowry explained why he left for Miami and says he wants to sign a one-day contract to retire a Raptor

Aaron Rose | Nov 22, 2021

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Lowry already has that February 3, 2022 date with the Toronto Raptors scheduled on his calendar.

It certainly won't be his toughest game of the year, but it's the game he's least looking forward to, he told The Undefeated's Marc Spears. He's not ready to return to the city he still calls his home, even after signing a three-year, $85 million contract this past summer to join the Miami Heat.

There are no hard feelings, Lowry said, between him and the organization. It was, by all accounts, a mutual decision for the Raptors legend to leave this past summer, allowing him to chase another ring, play with Jimmy Butler, his long-time friend, and settle his family into Miami. For Toronto, it was an opportunity to move into a new era and hand the keys of the organization over to the men Lowry calls his "brothers."

"The sweet part about me leaving was, now Freddy [VanVleet] gets all the attention, OG [Anunoby] gets all the attention. Pascal [Siakam] gets even more of the attention. I left the franchise in a great place to my little brothers," Lowry told Spears.

One day, though, as Lowry has said before, he wants to re-join the organization, at least for one day. He plans to dawn the red and black, or whatever colors the Raptors will be wearing at that time, and sign a one-day contract before he rides off into the sunset.

"I’ll retire as a Toronto Raptor," Lowry reiterated. "That is my everything."

After that, Lowry wants to be out of basketball. Don't expect him on the sidelines as a coach or assistant somewhere or working the phone lines as a general manager. Instead, he has his eyes set on bigger goals in the financial world. He wants to continue to create generational wealth for both his family and his community, he said.

For now, though, it's full speed ahead in the pursuit of another ring.

"I love my ring, but I want to have another one," he said. "I want to be able to wear two of them"

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