Not long after the season ended for the Miami Heat, Kyle Lowry made a sweeping declaration about how he felt that his debut campaign with his new team was a “wasted year.” At that time, it felt like the six-time All-Star was merely caught up with all the emotions of their disappointing Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Boston Celtics. As it turns out, however, this is a sentiment that has prevailed for Lowry.

Back in May, Lowry said that he thought it was a wasted season for the Heat because they failed to reach the NBA Finals.

“It was a wasted year,” Lowry declared then. “If you’re not playing for a championship, it’s a waste of a year.”

Four months later and Lowry still feels the exact same way. This was no knee-jerk reaction to being eliminated from the playoffs. The 36-year-old's feelings about his first season in Miami haven't changed, and he has even doubled down on his “wasted year” statement, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

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“I still feel the same way I felt when I spoke,” he said. “We only play for championships. We had a great year but if it didn’t result in championships for me, I feel the same way.”

Kyle Lowry has been to the pinnacle of the sport in the past, and he has come out as an NBA champion. This is exactly what he had in mind when he took his talents to South Beach last summer. Anything less would have been a disappointment, and it is clear that he's coming into 2022-23 with the same elite mindset.