TORONTO (AP) โ Raptors fans and guard Kyle Lowry finally got to enjoy their long-awaited reunion Sunday.
The six-time All-Star guard returned to Toronto for the first time in more than two years, his first trip back north of the border since an offseason trade to the Miami Heat.
โI missed everything about the city, the country, the organization,โ Lowry said in a pregame press conference. โItโs a lot to miss.โ
A key part of Torontoโs NBA championship in 2019, Lowry spent nine seasons with the Raptors. He remains the franchise leader in assists (4,277), steals (873), 3-pointers (1,518) and triple-doubles (16).
โItโs a place I called home for a long time,โ Lowry said of his emotions about returning to his old arena. โI won a lot of basketball games here, set a lot of records here. Iโve got a banner hanging up in there. Itโs just a special place.
โItโs not my home building anymore, but itโs a place Iโll always call home.โ
After a video tribute spanning his Raptors career, Lowry was introduced as a visitor the same way he once was as a local star, with the words โFrom North Philly to your cityโฆโ
With a full house of cheering fans on their feet, Lowry led his two young sons to center court, holding his hands aloft in gratitude but managing to contain his emotions. Heโd previously suggested he might cry but pledged before the game to try and hold it in.
โI know if I cry, DeMarโs going to make fun of me and itโs going to go viral and all that stuff,โ Lowry said, referring to longtime teammate DeMar DeRozan. โIโm looking forward to just being in the moment.โ
Lowry last played in Toronto on Feb. 28, 2020, when the defending champion Raptors lost to Charlotte.
โIโm going to be honest, I donโt even remember who we played,โ Lowry said.
Less than two weeks later, the NBA season was shut down by the pandemic, eventually resuming at Walt Disney World, where Torontoโs title defense ended in a seven-game loss to Boston in…