Kyle Lowry to Retire with Raptors on July 7

Kyle Lowry, the veteran point guard who became the cornerstone of the Toronto Raptors' most successful era, is set to formally announce his retirement next week. The six-time All-Star will sign a one-day contract with the Raptors and hold a press conference in Toronto on Tuesday, July 7, to officially conclude his 20-year NBA career.

The event, which the organization has billed as a "monumental moment" for the franchise, fulfills a long-standing promise Lowry made when he was traded to the Miami Heat in 2021. At that time, and repeatedly in the years since, he vowed to return and retire as a Raptor regardless of where he played out the final seasons of his career. The date of the event, July 7, corresponds with his uniform number, 7.

Lowry, however, expressed frustration that the news was reported before he could announce it himself. Following a report by a sports journalist on Thursday, July 2, Lowry posted on social media, "Wait for the word to come from me, not someone else!!!" He did not deny the retirement plans in his post.

The Philadelphia native spent nine seasons with the Raptors from 2012-13 through 2020-21, emerging as one of the league's premier point guards. He...