Kyle Lowry

High school career

Lowry attended Cardinal Dougherty High School in Philadelphia, where he played point guard for the Cardinal Dougherty Cardinals high school basketball team.

Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Lowry was listed as the No. 6 point guard and the No. 28 player in the U.S. in 2004.

College career

In his freshman season at Villanova, Lowry was named to the Big East All-Rookie team and was tabbed Philadelphia Big Five Rookie of the Year. In 24 games (3 starts), he averaged 7.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

In his sophomore season, he was named to the All Big East Second Team, as well as the First Team All-Big 5. In 33 games (31 starts), he averaged 11.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

Memphis Grizzlies (2006–2009)

Lowry was selected with the 24th overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2006 NBA draft. On July 9, 2006, he signed a two-year rookie deal with the Grizzlies, and subsequently joined the Grizzlies for the 2006 NBA Summer League.

Lowry scored six points and had 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block on opening night against the New York Knicks, with starting point guard Damon Stoudamire leaving the game early due to injury. However, his rookie season ended after just 10 games due to a broken wrist suffered against the Cleveland Cavaliers on November 21, 2006. Eight days later he underwent successful surgery on it.

Lowry looked forward to a long career with the Grizzlies, and was surprised when the team picked another point guard, Mike Conley Jr., with the fourth pick in the 2007 NBA draft. Though Lowry and Conley were friends, Lowry predicted that the difference in their draft positions meant his future would not be on the Grizzlies. On January 25, 2009, the team named Lionel Hollins as the new head coach, and Lowry was told that the team was committed to Conley as a starter.

2008–09 season

At the NBA trade deadline on February 19, 2009, Lowry was traded to the Houston Rockets in a three-team deal involving the Orlando Magic. The Rockets had coveted Lowry since 2006, and general manager Daryl Morey described the trade as "upgrading" the team's point guard position, even though starting point guard Rafer Alston was sent to the Magic, leaving Aaron Brooks as the starter. Lowry bonded with coach Rick Adelman, and made the playoffs for the first time that season, averaging 5.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 13 games as the Rockets lost in seven games to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semi-finals.

2009–10 season

Lowry averaged 9.1 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.6 rebounds a game the following season as he came off the bench behind Brooks. After the season, he became a restricted free agent, and on July 14, 2010, he signed an offer sheet of four years and $23 million tendered by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Rockets quickly matched the offer.

2010–11 season

Lowry started 71 games his third season with the Rockets, and his reputation in the league began to solidify. On December 3, 2010, he scored 28 points and had a career-tying 12 assists, three rebounds and two steals in a win against the Memphis Grizzlies. On December 7, 2010, he again had 12 assists, and a career-high six steals, against the Detroit Pistons. On December 17, 2010, Lowry set a new career-high 18 assists, along with 17 points and five steals, in a win against the Grizzlies.

On February 16, 2011, Lowry scored a career-high 36 points on 13-of-16 shooting in a loss to his hometown team, the Philadelphia 76ers.

On March 20, 2011, Lowry recorded his first triple-double with a 28-point, 10 assist and career-high 11 rebound performance in a win against Utah Jazz. He was named Western Conference Player of the Week for the first time in his career, for his performance between March 14 and March 20, 2011. During the week, he averaged 19.3 points, 7.5 assists and 7.3 rebounds, shooting 52.6 percent and 45 percent on three-pointers, to lead the Rockets to a 4-0 record.

2011–12 season

Despite his initial success on the Rockets, Lowry clashed with head coach Kevin McHale, who replaced Adelman on June 1, 2011. "You go from being successful as hell with one coach", Lowry explained in a 2014 Grantland interview, "and being comfortable with the coach to, yes, I was really successful with Kevin McHale, but I just didn’t do it the right way. If I did it the right way, I would still be in Houston." In 2014, when Lowry was a Toronto Raptor, he apologized to McHale for his behavior, as he was pursued by the Rockets as a free agent.

At the end of the 2011–12 season, Lowry missed time due to a bacterial infection, and backup point guard Goran Dragić played well as a starter. With Dragić's emergence, the Rockets decided that Lowry could be traded to clear salary cap space and to gain draft picks.

2012–13 season

On July 11, 2012, Lowry was traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Gary Forbes and a future first round pick. Lowry averaged over 23 points and seven assists through the first three games of the season, but was injured during the team's fourth game, a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 6, 2012. Upon his return he came off the bench behind José Calderón, but regained the starting position when Calderón was traded in a three-team deal on January 30, 2013 that brought Memphis Grizzlies small forward Rudy Gay to the Raptors. Despite the trade, which was meant to help the struggling Raptors return to relevance, the team finished the season with a 34-48 record, missing the playoffs.

On May 31, 2013, Masai Ujiri was hired as the Raptors' new general manager, replacing Bryan Colangelo. Ujiri believed that Lowry had the potential to be a star, but found that his reputation around the NBA had more to do with his history of clashing with coaches and his body language than his talent. Ujiri challenged Lowry during meetings that off-season to be a better player and leader. "Do you want to be a $3 million player, $2 million player for the rest of your career", Ujiri remembers asking Lowry, "...or do you want to be a $10 million player or more?" Lowry also received mentorship from Chauncey Billups, who Lowry remembers "pushed me mentally to challenge myself." Receptive to the advice he had received from Ujiri and others, Lowry looked forward to the upcoming season, entering training camp healthy for the first time in several seasons.

2013–14 season

The Raptors started the 2013–14 season with a 6-12 record, until Gay, the team's leading scorer, was traded to the Sacramento Kings. Following the trade, Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan approached Lowry and the two decided to take ownership of the team, knowing they could both be traded if the team's management decided to rebuild rather than compete for a playoff spot. Lowry's name was linked to several teams, most frequently the New York Knicks, in trade rumours, but the Knicks were reportedly unwilling to send a first round pick to Toronto in exchange for Lowry. The post-Gay Raptors quickly emerged as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and many cited Lowry's strong play and leadership as a significant factor in their success. The team finished the season with a franchise-best 48-34 record, third in the Eastern Conference and first in the Atlantic Division for the second time in franchise history. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2008, but lost in the first round to the Brooklyn Nets after Lowry's potential game-winning shot was blocked by Paul Pierce in Game 7. Despite a disappointing end to the season, Lowry averaged career-best 17.9 points, 7.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds during the regular season and 21.1 points, 4.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds during the playoffs.

Lowry entered the off-season as one of the NBA's most coveted free agents, attracting interest from the Miami Heat, Houston Rockets and other teams. On July 10, 2014, he re-signed with the Raptors to a four-year, $48 million contract.

2014–15 season

The Raptors and Lowry continued their strong play into the next season, and the team once again emerged as a top seed in the Eastern Conference. On November 7, 2014, Lowry became the team's all-time leader in triple-doubles with a 13-point, 10 assist and 11 rebound performance in a win against the Washington Wizards. It was Lowry's sixth career triple-double and his fourth as a Raptor, passing Damon Stoudamire, who had the previous franchise record of three. On December 3, he scored a career-high 39 points on 13-of-22 shooting in a win against the Utah Jazz. On January 5, 2015, Lowry was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for December 2014, making him only the second Raptor, after Chris Bosh, to receive this recognition. Lowry averaged 22.3 points, 8.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds during the month, winning Player of the Week during the first week and helping lead the Raptors to an 11-4 record. On January 22, 2015, Lowry became a first-time All-Star when he was announced as an Eastern Conference starter in the 2015 NBA All-Star Game. He became only the third Raptor to be voted in as a starter, after Vince Carter and Bosh. On February 5, 2015, the NBA announced that Lowry would also participate in the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge as part of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Lowry finished the All-Star game with 10 points, a team-high eight assists, three rebounds and four steals in a loss to the West, completing his first in-game dunk since 2009.

On March 16, 2015, Lowry recorded his seventh career triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 117-98 win over the Indiana Pacers. The Raptors finished the 2014–15 season with a franchise-best 49-33 record, fourth in the East and first in the Atlantic, but were swept in the first round by the Washington Wizards, despite entering the series with homecourt advantage. Lowry averaged 17.8 points, 6.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 70 games during the regular season, but a disappointing 12.3 points, as well as 4.8 assists and 5.5 rebounds, in the playoffs, with many questioning his health during the series.

2015–16 season

Following his disappointing performance in the playoffs, Lowry entered the 2015–16 season with a noticeably slimmer physique, looking "as trim and fit as he ever has during his nearly decade-long NBA career", according to Toronto Sun writer, Ryan Wolstat. Lowry explained that he wanted to be prepared "for 82 games and a long playoff run." On November 3, he scored a game-high 27 points against the Dallas Mavericks as the Raptors started 4–0 for the first time in franchise history (the streak eventually ended with five wins). On December 5, Lowry scored a then career-high 41 points and made six three-pointers in a loss to the Golden State Warriors.

On January 18, 2016, Lowry tied his career-high of made three-pointers in game with seven, scoring a game-high 31 points in total, in a 112–100 win over the Brooklyn Nets. On January 21, he was named as a starter to the Eastern Conference All-Star team for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game. He was also later named a contestant in the Three-Point Contest, making him the third Raptors player to participate in this event. On February 1, in a 112–93 loss to the Denver Nuggets, Lowry passed Alvin Williams for second all-time on the Raptors' assists list. The following day, Lowry and teammate DeMar DeRozan were selected as co-winners for Eastern Conference Player of the Month for January. The pair helped the Raptors go 12–2 during the month and record a franchise-record 11-game win streak. On February 14, Lowry finished his second All-Star game, held in Toronto for the first time, with 14 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and two steals in the East's 196–173 loss to the West. On February 22, he recorded his eighth career triple-double (sixth as a Raptor) with 22 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds in a 122–95 win over the New York Knicks. Four days later, he scored a career-high 43 points, on 15-of-20 shooting, and had nine assists, five rebounds and four steals in a 99–97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. On February 29, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played from February 22–28. On March 21, he was again named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, for games played from March 14–20, becoming the first Raptors player since Chris Bosh in 2009–10 to win the award multiple times in the same season. On March 30, he recorded 17 points, 11 assists and six rebounds in a 105–97 win over the Atlanta Hawks, helping the Raptors reach 50 wins for the first time in franchise history. The team finished the regular season with a 56–26 record, good for first in the Atlantic Division for the third consecutive year, and second in the Eastern Conference.

Lowry entered the playoffs suffering from bursitis in his shooting elbow, as he shot a mere 32% from the field over the final 10 games of the regular season. His poor shooting continued into the postseason as the Raptors faced the Indiana Pacers in the first round. Despite Lowry's struggles, the Raptors defeated the Pacers in seven games, winning their second playoff series in franchise history, their first since 2001, and their first seven-game series. In Game 3 of the Raptors' second-round series against the Miami Heat, Lowry broke out of his shooting slump with a 33-point performance on 11-of-19 shooting, helping the Raptors win 95–91 and go up 2–1 on the series. In Game 6 of the series, he tied his playoff career high with 36 points on 12-of-27 shooting in a 103–91 loss, as the Heat forced a Game 7 in Toronto. In Game 7 of the series, he scored 35 points on 11-of-20 shooting, to go along with nine assists, seven rebounds and four steals, in a 116–89 win, helping the Raptors advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. In Game 4 of the Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lowry scored 35 points on 14-of-20 shooting to help the Raptors win 105–99 and tie the series at 2–2. In Game 6 of the series, Lowry again scored 35 points, but was unable to force a Game 7, with the 113–87 loss knocking the Raptors out of the playoffs with a 4–2 defeat. Lowry capped off his strong season by earning All-NBA third team honors. With his first selection to the All-NBA team, he joined Vince Carter and Chris Bosh as the only players in franchise history to receive this recognition.

2016–17 season

On November 28, 2016, Lowry set a franchise record by hitting all six of his three-pointers for a game-high 24 points in a 122–95 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. On December 9, he scored 21 of his then season-high 34 points in the second half of the Raptors' 101–94 win over the Boston Celtics. He set a new season high on December 23, scoring 36 points, including 19 in the fourth quarter, to lead the Raptors to a 104–98 victory over the Utah Jazz. On January 1, 2017, he scored 20 of his season-high 41 points in the fourth quarter of the Raptors' 123–114 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. He also had nine rebounds and seven assists, and went 5-of-6 from three-point range. On February 5, 2017, he recorded his ninth career triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a 103–95 win over the Brooklyn Nets. The following day in the Raptors' 118–109 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Lowry became the Raptors' franchise leader in three-pointers when he buried one from beyond the arc with 5:27 to play in the first half. His third three-pointer of the night gave him 802 in a Toronto uniform, surpassing Morris Peterson's mark. On April 5, 2017, he returned from an 18-game absence with a wrist injury, played 42 minutes and had 27 points and 10 assists to help the Raptors overcome a 20-point first-half deficit in a 105–102 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

In the Raptors' second-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lowry sprained his left ankle in the third quarter of Game 2, and aggravated the injury while trying to warm up for Game 3. He was not active for Game 4 and thus could not assist the Raptors in trying to avoid a series sweep; with a 109–102 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 4, the Raptors bowed out of the playoffs with a 4–0 defeat.

Following the playoffs, Lowry declined his $12 million player option for the 2017–18 season and became an unrestricted free agent.

2017–18 season

On July 7, 2017, Lowry re-signed with the Raptors to a three-year, $100 million contract.

National team career

Lowry was a member of the U.S. men's national team that won gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He earned praise for his defense and leadership during the tournament, with head coach Mike Krzyzewski calling him the team's "unsung hero" and assistant coach Jim Boeheim naming him "the best team player out of everybody."

Player profile

Lowry's tenacious playing style has often earned him comparisons to a pit bull or bulldog, with many citing his toughness, leadership and instinct for winning plays on the court. Lowry's Villanova teammate Curtis Sumpter remembers "he was just so tough. He wasn’t the flashy guy. He wasn’t coming down to try and throw 150 crossovers and make all these fantastic moves. That wasn’t his game. He was just so solid and able to read the defenses and make the pass at the right time and get guys in the right position to score." In 2014, Zach Lowe of Grantland wrote that Lowry "was probably the best point guard in the Eastern Conference from start to finish [of the 2013–14 season], raining off-the-bounce 3s, getting Toronto into its offense, toning down the wild gambles on defense, and using that stubby little body to draw more charges than anyone."

Lowry is considered a strong rebounder for his position, as well as a determined defender. He holds the Toronto Raptors' franchise record for triple-doubles, as well as the most made three-point field goals in a season, for the 2013–14 season.

Awards and achievements

Other achievements