Raptors Crowing Kyle Lowry as “The Greatest Raptor of All Time” Doesn’t Sit Well With Some Fans

The Raptors unveiled a new tribute to Kyle Lowry following his official retirement as a Raptor this past July.

Raptors Crowing Kyle Lowry as “The Greatest Raptor of All Time” Doesn’t Sit Well With Some Fans

Kyle Lowry (Image credits - NBA)

There is very little to debate against Kyle Lowry‘s legacy with the Toronto Raptors. The Memphis Grizzlies drafted Lowry with the 24th pick in the 2006 NBA draft.

After a couple of difficult stints with the Grizzlies and Houston Rockets, Lowry was traded to the Raptors in 2012. After an inconsistent debut campaign in Toronto, Lowry made his mark in his second season, leading them to the playoffs for the first time in five years.

Lowry spent the majority of his career with the Raptors. He played nine out of his 20 seasons for the Canadian organization. He was instrumental in making them relevant again after Chris Bosh left in 2010.

It has been a year since he announced his retirement. The six-time All-Star got his long-overdue Raptors tribute. The Raptors unveiled a stylized gold version of the team’s Velociraptor mascot wearing his No.7 jersey in a basketball action. The phrase beneath the sculpture read “Greatest Raptor of All Time.”

Lowry appeared in only 14 regular-season games for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2025–26 NBA season. After announcing his retirement, he signed a one-day contract with the Raptors to officially retire with the team.

During his time with the Raptors, Lowry established himself as one of the best floor generals in the league. He was even linked to joining LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers a few years ago.

While he was not the best player for the team when they won their first and only championship in 2019, he played a vital role during their run. So it wasn’t surprising to see the franchise erect a statue for him, even if it was unconventional.

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The Raptors also revealed they plan to retire Lowry’s No. 7 jersey at Scotiabank Arena on January 10, 2027. However, it was the statue that grabbed the headlines in the end.

The decision to use a dinosaur as the statue rather than Lowry himself immediately became the main talking point among NBA fans across social media.

Most fans did not agree that Lowry deserve the tag “The Greatest Raptor of All Time”. While he did spend a number of years in Toronto and was a part of the championship team seven years ago, many believe that he was not as great as Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Chris Bosh, or even Kawhi Leonard.

Kevin Love trolls Toronto with ‘LeBronto’ on Kyle Lowry’s block party

Kyle Lowry will forever be loved and remembered by the fans for his contributions to the Raptors. His retirement celebration saw a large crowd gather to celebrate him and his achievements with the franchise over the years. The block party took place in Maple Leaf Square on Saturday.

Kyle Lowry and LeBron James
Kyle Lowry and LeBron James (Image credits – NBC Sports)

The event featured guest appearances from other NBA players as well. One of them was Kevin Love. The two clashed in the playoffs for three consecutive years, from 2016-2018. The Cleveland Cavaliers, led by LeBron James, came out on top in all three encounters.

When Love got the microphone during the celebrations, he felt it appropriate to rile up the fans gathered by bringing up their arch-nemesis, James. His comments riled up the fans who ended up booing him. He said,

This is Kyle’s day, but isn’t this LeBronto? I’m just kidding… I love you guys, come on now.

Kevin Love during Kyle Lowry’s block party

The ‘LeBronto’ nickname became iconic during the late 2010s after he eliminated them for three straight years. As for Lowry, he could be seen laughing hard at the comment. While James tormented the Raptors for years, it worked out for them when he left the Cavs to join the Lakers in 2018 as they went on to win the championship that season.

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