Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry's new start without his longtime backcourt partner DeMar DeRozan has brought a major change to his basketball career, but it's a change that he's welcomed with open arms, now determined to make the best of his situation.
While DeRozan's departure stung deep, the addition of a top-caliber player in Kawhi Leonard only meant that Lowry was expected to also make the most out of the opportunity, now thriving under this new partnership.
“I’m more hungry than I was my first year,” Kyle Lowry told Michael Lee of The Athletic. “Because it’s about wanting more for yourself. I never want to settle for being mediocre or me not giving every ounce of blood, sweat and tears for my job. We don’t get to play this game for a long time at a high level. I think that’s where we are. We only get this thing for a short amount of time, after that, then you can go be lazy. For me, it’s all about being the best basketball player you can possibly be. Why settle?”
Lowry could have sulked after president Masai Ujiri made the decision to trade DeRozan, but the 6-foot guard knows there is no point in holding grudges.
“It’s no point now,” Lowry said. “He did it. He made his decision. That’s his choice. All I can do is go hoop. Take that however you want.”
The 32-year-old floor general has been since reborn as a dime wizard, leading the league with an average of 10.2 assists per game — topping his previous career-high mark of 7.4 assists per game in a new-found role as the main playmaker.
Lowry has been appreciative of the team, as they gave him a hefty three-year, $100 million deal in 2017 — one he plans to honor through and through.
“It was a dried up summer. Dried up quick,” Kyle Lowry said with a smirk. “But they made a commitment and they secured me more money than I ever thought I would make. And yeah, I’ve proven it on the basketball court and I just continue to keep improving and that I’m worth the amount of money and salary that I make. The city has been great for me. The organization, I’ve made them let me be me.
“I’m not saying that in an arrogant way. But they gave me a chance. They didn’t have to pay me. I’ve done everything you wanted me to do. I’ve made the team get better and they’ve put me in a position where I’ve made them make a decision whether they wanted to keep me or not. They chose to keep me and I appreciate it.”
Lowry's newfound passion for the game has catapulted the Raptors to the best record in the league at 18-4, currently boasting a six-game win streak after posting double-digit helpers in 12 of the team's 22 games in this young season.
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