Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry repeatedly insisted Wednesday night that he did not know what would happen so far by Thursday’s trading deadline of 3 p.m.
But that didn’t stop an air of finality from clinging to proceedings after a 135-111 victory over the Denver Nuggets, as the greatest player in the history of the Raptors franchise spoke to the press about what will likely be the last time in a Toronto uniform. .
“It was a little strange tonight not to know what the next step would be, just realizing that there are things that could be done,” Lowry said. “It was different tonight, for sure.
“I mean, who knows what will happen? Nobody knows what will happen. But it was definitely different.”
Although the Raptors victory managed to win a series of losses of nine games, giving them their first victory in February. On Oct. 26, the focus after the game focused almost exclusively on what will happen on Thursday, when the Raptors will not play, but will potentially change two strong members of the team’s massive success in recent seasons to Lowry and goalkeeper. Norman Powell.
Both players have contracts that are about to expire, and Toronto falling in the eastern standings and in the middle of a season in Tampa, Florida, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, enters on Thursday as two of the best players that could change.
It was a big enough opportunity for Canadian icon and frequent Raptors fan Drake to speak to Lowry via FaceTime in the middle of his post-game press session, offering to translate his media responses, an offer Lowry refused.
Lowry began his press session by greeting the five women from Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment: Meghan McPeak, Kia Nurse, Kate Beirness, Amy Audibert and Kayla Gray, who had previously become the first all-female NBA broadcast team. He spoke fondly of his time in Toronto. He talked about how, after a few years of his career, he found a home with the Raptors, the team that made him a star and the future Hall of Famer and won a championship two seasons ago. .
“Well, I think if you come back, [el entonces gerente general de los Raptors] Bryan Colangelo changed me to become – unfortunately they lost Steve Nash – and he changed me to become a goalkeeper, “Lowry said, referring to the exchange that brought him to Toronto from Houston in 2012.” The trade was made for me. keys. And honestly, you know, I wanted to take advantage of that.
“I think he clicked more on the fact that, you know, they believed in me, right, the organization believed in me from the top down … everyone from the top down believed in me and what I could do. individual player and as a leader, so I think that would really help, you know, a little bit, you know, click everything, put everything together. “
The same sentimentality about Lowry’s time in Toronto translated into his teammates and coaches, all of whom came to Toronto after Lowry did.
“We really grew together,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “I always say that when it was the first time I came here, I was new to the NBA and he wasn’t really a starting player, as a legitimate starter.
“So he grew to six times an Olympic gold medalist and an NBA title, which is really amazing for Kyle Lowry, I think. Record Raptors, I think he will become the best Raptor so far. “
However, Lowry was not the only one who could face his last night as Raptor. Powell, who only played for Toronto in the six NBA seasons, could also be on the move tomorrow.
He said the strangest part of the days and weeks before Thursday was not hearing his name in the media, but in his conversations with members of the Toronto organization about what it would be like to play elsewhere.
“Honestly, I didn’t watch SportsCenter,” Powell said. “I don’t really see a lot of things. I mean, it’s weird around me. I feel like, with some people in the organization, they always ask me what can happen, this, this and that. But I tell them the same thing every day. Some among the people in the organization, our medical staff was delighted and something like that, and I tell them to relax and calm down.
“But it’s a business. Building connections with people … it doesn’t bother me in any way. Whatever happens, I can’t talk about emotions that aren’t here now. I’ll wait and see like everyone else.”
However, things are different for Lowry, whose transformation from NBA to All-Star and Champion reflected the Raptors’ rise from a forgotten franchise to one that has been a steady winner in recent seasons. Even though he and his teammates haven’t played a game in Toronto for more than a year, he has established a connection that adds extra meaning to what happens on Thursday.
Lowry, who said in a previous press conference that he will retire as a Raptor no matter what happens at the trading deadline or this summer in the free agency, will turn 36 on Thursday.
He said he hopes to play golf and will have his phone on, but will just wait to see what his agent, Mark Bartelstein, has to say when he rings, rather than look at his phone waiting to see what happens. .
No matter what he came to hear, Lowry said he would be at peace with any T-shirt he would put on after Thursday’s deadline.
“Whatever it is, it will be, honestly,” he said. “This is the truth. Whatever it is, it will be. At the end of the day, everything happens for a reason. You can’t control everything and in certain situations you can, but every decision that happened I had a choice worked very well. for me and everything will work.
“At the end of the day, everything will be fine, whatever happens.”
And if he’s not in Toronto, Lowry will leave an indelible mark on a franchise he’s made in the last eight seasons.
“I congratulated him as much as possible, [y] I certainly don’t mind doing that, “the nurse said. My only comment I always make, which I think is the highest compliment I make, is that it plays harder than anyone I’ve ever seen.
“On the field, training or training or watching games or whatever, he plays harder than anyone I’ve ever seen. I can’t give him a bigger compliment than that.”