Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry

Lowry with the Toronto Raptors in April 2015
No. 7 – Toronto Raptors
Position Point guard
League NBA
Personal information
Born March 25, 1986
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight 205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school Cardinal Dougherty
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
College Villanova (2004–2006)
NBA draft 2006 / Round: 1 / Pick: 24th overall
Selected by the Memphis Grizzlies
Pro career 2006–present
Career history
2006–2009 Memphis Grizzlies
2009–2012 Houston Rockets
2012–present Toronto Raptors
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com

Kyle Lowry (born March 25, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended Cardinal Dougherty High School in Philadelphia and declared for the NBA draft after two seasons with Villanova University under coach Jay Wright. He was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 24th pick in the 2006 NBA draft.

Lowry is credited with helping lead the Raptors to the playoffs and win an Atlantic Division title for the first time in seven years, during the 2013–14 season, his second season with the team.[1] In 2015, he became an NBA All-Star for the first time when he was named an Eastern Conference starter.

High school career

Lowry attended Cardinal Dougherty High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 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.[2]

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.[3][4]

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.[3][4]

College statistics

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2004–05 Villanova 24 3 23.2 .421 .227 .635 3.2 2.0 1.3 .2 7.5
2005–06 Villanova 33 31 29.3 .466 .444 .786 4.3 3.7 2.3 .2 11.0

NBA career

Memphis Grizzlies

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.[5]

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.[6] However, his rookie season ended after just 10 games due to a broken wrist suffered against the Cleveland Cavaliers on November 21, 2006.[7] Eight days later he underwent successful surgery on it.[8]

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.[9] Though Lowry and Conley were friends, Lowry predicted that the difference in their draft positions meant his future would not be on the Grizzlies.[9] 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 starter.[9]

Houston Rockets

Lowry playing for the Houston Rockets in November 2009

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.[10] 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,[9] and made the playoffs for the first time that season, averaging 5.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 13 games[11] as the Rockets lost in seven games to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semi-finals.

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.[12] 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.[13] The Rockets quickly matched the offer.[12]

Lowry started 71 games his third season with the Rockets, and his reputation in the league began to solidify.[9] On December 3, 2010, he scored 28 points and had a career-tying 12 assists, three rebounds and two steals in 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 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.

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, Lowry apologized to McHale when he was pursued by the Rockets as a free agent as a member of the Toronto Raptors.[9]

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.[9]

Toronto Raptors

On July 11, 2012, Lowry was traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Gary Forbes and a future first round pick.[14] 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.[15] 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.[16] 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.[9]

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.[9] 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.[9] 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.[17] 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 2007, 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.[18] On July 10, 2014, he re-signed with the Raptors to a four-year, $48 million contract.[19][20]

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 record of three.[21] On December 3, he scored a career-high 39 points on 13-of-22 shooting in win against the Utah Jazz.[22] 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 to Raptors to an 11-4 record.[23] 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.[24] He became only the third Raptor to be voted in as a starter, after Vince Carter and Bosh.[25] 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.[26] 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.[27]

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.[28] 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. [29]

Awards and achievements

Other achievements

Endorsements

Originally with Peak Sport, a Chinese company that makes basketball equipment,[32] Lowry signed with Adidas in August 2014.[33]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2006–07 Memphis 10 0 17.5 .368 .375 .893 3.1 3.2 1.4 .1 5.6
2007–08 Memphis 82 9 25.5 .432 .257 .698 3.0 3.6 1.1 .3 9.6
2008–09 Memphis 49 21 21.9 .412 .246 .801 2.3 3.6 1.0 .2 7.6
2008–09 Houston 28 0 21.7 .475 .276 .800 2.8 3.5 .8 .3 7.6
2009–10 Houston 68 0 24.3 .397 .272 .827 3.6 4.5 .9 .1 9.1
2010–11 Houston 75 71 34.2 .426 .376 .765 4.1 6.7 1.4 .3 13.5
2011–12 Houston 47 38 32.1 .409 .374 .864 4.5 6.6 1.6 .3 14.3
2012–13 Toronto 68 52 29.7 .401 .362 .795 4.7 6.4 1.4 .4 11.6
2013–14 Toronto 79 79 36.2 .423 .380 .813 4.7 7.4 1.5 .2 17.9
2014–15 Toronto 70 70 34.5 .412 .338 .808 4.7 6.8 1.6 .2 17.8
Career 576 340 29.5 .417 .348 .793 3.9 5.6 1.3 .2 12.5
All-Star 1 1 25.4 .308 .182 .000 3.0 8.0 4.0 .0 10.0

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2009 Houston 13 0 19.5 .333 .250 .742 2.9 2.5 .9 .1 5.3
2014 Toronto 7 7 38.7 .404 .395 .878 4.7 4.7 .9 .0 21.1
2015 Toronto 4 4 32.8 .316 .217 .727 5.5 4.8 1.3 .0 12.3
Career 20 7 25.4 .379 .345 .818 3.4 3.3 1.0 .0 9.9

References

  1. ↑ Kyle Lowry ready to lead Raptors to greater heights
  2. ↑ Kyle Lowry Recruiting Profile
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Player Bio: Kyle Lowry
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kyle Lowry Stats
  5. ↑ Grizzlies sign first-round pick Lowry to two-year deal
  6. ↑ November 1, 2006FedExForum, Memphis, TN (2006-11-01). "Knicks 118, Grizzlies 117 - boxscore". Sports.espn.go.com. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
  7. ↑ "Gooden scores season high, Cavs fight off Grizzlies". Sports.espn.go.com. 2006-11-21. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
  8. ↑ Grizzlies Lowry has Wrist Surgery
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 9.9 You Can Count on Me
  10. ↑ "Rockets acquire Lowry, Cook in three-team deal". NBA.com. 2009-02-20. Retrieved 2012-01-06.
  11. ↑ KYLE LOWRY BIO
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Rockets will match offer for Lowry
  13. ↑ "Cavaliers Sign Kyle Lowry to Offer Sheet". NBA.com. 2010-07-14. Retrieved 2012-01-06.
  14. ↑ "Raptors Acquire Kyle Lowry From Houston Rockets". NBA.com. 2012-07-11. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  15. ↑ Raptors guard Kyle Lowry injured as Toronto thumped by Oklahoma City Thunder
  16. ↑ Toronto Raptors trade Jose Calderon, Ed Davis to Memphis Grizzlies for Rudy Gay
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Toronto Raptors’ unexpected success owed in large part to Kyle Lowry’s magnificent season
  18. ↑ Raptors sign free agent point guard Kyle Lowry to four-year extension
  19. ↑ Raptors Re-Sign Kyle Lowry
  20. ↑ Kyle Lowry Agrees To Re-Sign With Raptors On Four-Year, $48M Deal
  21. ↑ Lowry leads Raptors past Wizards 103-84
  22. ↑ Lowry scores 39, Raptors hand Jazz 7th loss in row
  23. ↑ Lowry Named Eastern Conference Player of the Month
  24. ↑ 2015 NBA All-Star starters announced, Kyle Lowry overtakes Dwyane Wade in the East
  25. ↑ Kyle Lowry To Participate In 2015 Taco Bell Skills Challenge
  26. ↑ Kyle Lowry To Participate In 2015 Taco Bell Skills Challenge
  27. ↑ Kyle Lowry soars for rare dunk in all-star game
  28. ↑ Lowry's triple-double leads Raptors past Pacers, 117-98
  29. ↑ http://globalnews.ca/news/1958080/kyle-lowrys-health-questioned-amid-raptors-playoff-struggles/
  30. ↑ Lowry leads Raptors to best start in franchise history, sets team record for triple-doubles
  31. ↑ Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry wins George Gross sportsman of the year award
  32. ↑ PEAK Tony Parker and Kyle Lowry Launched 2013 PEAK TEAM China Tour
  33. ↑ Kyle Lowry Joins adidas

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kyle Lowry.