After falling in the first round in the previous two postseasons, the Toronto Raptors went on an impressive run this Spring, taking Game 7's over both the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat in the first two rounds before pushing LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to a sixth game in the Eastern Conference Finals. It's the furthest the Raptors have ever made it in the playoffs in the history of their franchise.
During their 56-26 campaign, point guard Kyle Lowry had the best year of his career, averaging 21.2 points, 6.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game. He struggled at times in the postseason, but he always seemed to bounce back at critical moments to keep his team alive.
The city of Toronto, and really much of Canada, invested themselves into the Raptors' run. Lowry was touched by their support, and he eventually decided to write a letter thanking them.
The letter transcribed:
“It still hasn't sunk in that it's over.
In October, I boarded a plane with my teammates for training camp with one goal in mind – to be the best team that we could be and put ourselves in a position to win an NBA championship.
That mindset never changed, ever. Every single person connected to this team did what they could to try and make that happen, including you, our fans.
From Vancouver – to London – to every city where we proudly wore our jersey, I saw our fans. I always knew that we were Canada's team, but damn … Y'all came out with the love and support we needed.
For the second straight year you gave me the privilege of starting in the NBA All-Star game, being able to do so with DeMar… at home… well, it's an experience that will stay with us forever. The love you showed me is something I tried to reciprocate every time I hit the floor. From our opening game, to Jurassic Park, to the chants well after the final horn in Game 6, you were heard.
Words alone will never be able to truly express the feelings I have for you.
Today, I'll take a moment to reflect on the positives – and there were many. I'm proud of what we accomplished, but like you, I'm not satisfied!
-Kyle Lowry
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