Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry was emotional after leading his team to the championship on Thursday. He finished with 26 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in their series-clinching Game 6 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
After the euphoria of their title victory wore off, Lowry posted a short but heartfelt message on Instagram.
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Lowry is the longest-tenured member of the Raptors' championship squad. He witnessed all the ups and downs of the team over the past five years. The All-Star guard tried to lead them to the championship multiple times, but he, along with long-time friend and former teammate DeMar DeRozan always came up short.
This season, things changed. DeRozan was traded for Kawhi Leonard, and while Lowry didn't co-exist with his new teammate during the early parts of the season, both found a way to work together in time for the playoffs.
The Raptors secured the second-best record in the East, but they were immediately challenged right from the start of the postseason. They lost the opening game of their first-round matchup against the Orlando Magic before cruising past them in five games. They faced the Philadelphia 76ers next in the Eastern Conference semifinals where they had to be bailed out by a Leonard game-winner to advance.
In the conference finals, the Raptors faced the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks, where they found themselves losing the first two games. Toronto then responded by winning the next four to advance to the NBA Finals.
They faced the Warriors that won the last two championships, but the Raptors never looked intimidated. Behind Leonard, they built a 3-1 series lead and although they were not able to finish the series in Game 5, Lowry made sure that there will be no Game 7.
Lowry made it clear that they are not going to let Game 6 slip away. He was making his shots early in the first quarter, which allowed him to find his rhythm early and finish the game strong.
He may not be the Finals MVP, but he delivered when things mattered the most. Now, Kyle Lowry is a champion.
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