Kyle Lowry retires as a Toronto Raptor after signing one‑day deal

sportsJul 7, 2026281,464

Kyle Lowry signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the Toronto Raptors on July 7 to officially retire as a Raptor, fulfilling a long-stated promise to end his 20-season NBA career in the city where he became an All-Star and a champion. Lowry, 40, wore No. 7 with the Raptors and referenced the date 7/7 in his announcement, thanking teammates, coaches, staff, media and fans and saying, "It’s officially happening. I’m retiring as a Toronto Raptor, 20 years and 1 day." A six-time All-Star who helped lead Toronto to the 2019 NBA title, Lowry is one of two point guards to reach 20 seasons and won Olympic gold with Team USA in 2016; he was an All-NBA selection in 2015-16. Over 1,187 regular-season games he averaged 13.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists, and his 2,209 made 3-pointers rank 14th in NBA history. The Raptors held a news conference in Toronto to mark the moment, where Kawhi Leonard was spotted in attendance, and the team plans a jersey retirement and commemorative events in the coming season. Lowry has already moved toward a postplaying career, having been announced last year as an analyst for Prime Video.

NBA

@nba.com

2019 NBA Championship teammate Kawhi Leonard is on hand to support Kyle Lowry as he retires with the Raptors!

31345d ago

X Solitude ∞ 🍁🇨🇦 EH!1

Klaw an KL in da house!!!!!! 😎

Quoting this

Strictly 4 My Navigators13

Kawhi has entered his Tim Duncan phase....

TSN

@tsnofficial.bsky.social

#7 Forever. Kyle Lowry is set to retire with the Toronto Raptors. ❤️🇨🇦

26245d ago

Quoting this

Josh Lewenberg23

Kyle Lowry, forever a Raptor. The greatest ever.

Toronto Tempo

@tempobasketball.bsky.social

Forever Toronto legends continue to make an impact on the city's basketball history. 🏀 NBA champion Kyle Lowry, and entrepreneur and philanthropist Ayahna Cornish-Lowry, have joined the Tempo ownership group, further strengthening the organization's commitment to growing women's basketball.

21145d ago

Toronto Tempo37

They are also investing in the future of the sport in Canada. Welcome, Kyle and Ayahna! 🤝 Marquee Moments presented by Sephora Canada

Lone Wolf1

Adding a former NBA champion who never had flopping or foul baiting as a major part of his game is probably a good idea.

Quoting this

Kate Scott8

This is awesome!!! Congratulations on retirement, KLow!!! And welcome to the W, you two!!!

Boogie7

Kyle is basically Canadian at this point. I'd also want to stay up here if I were him.

RyGuy⚛️♾️🇨🇦 he/him/his2

Welcome to the Tempo! Let's go Tempo! #torontotempo #wnba

Keerthika Uthayakumar

@keerthikau.bsky.social

The Raptors are retiring Kyle Lowry's #7. He's officially retiring as a Toronto Raptor. His franchise ranks, regular season & playoffs: 1st in wins 1st in assists 1st in threes 2nd in points Raptors have 1 playoff series win without Kyle Lowry. They have 9 series wins with him.

18945d ago

freemeplease.bsky.social2

Numbers can’t ever capture the heart and effort he gave. That’s what I will remember the most about him.

Quoting this

[insert something witty]3

He’s such a winning player. Seems like a decent human being too (for a cishet man). Excited to see the Tempo host to Valkyries in he and his wife’s first game as co-owners.

Bruce Arthur

@brucearthur.bsky.social

Kyle Lowry was on his way to lost when he came to Toronto, and his time as a Raptor was so often difficult, right through the championship season. But he really found a basketball home in TO, which he needed, and deserves to be remembered as the greatest Raptor of all time.

10045d ago

Kay Cook (and cats)2

Yeah, I was a season-ticket Rockets fan during the Kyle Lowry era, and he just did not work out there. I am, and I’m sure all decent Rockets fans are, delighted with how well things turned out for him in Toronto. What a cool story, and so embraced there, it seems 🥹 Love to see it!

Emily1

Every time I see Kyle, almost more than any other Toronto sports figure, I think, that’s our guy.

Seahawk1

Indeed. He was the glue.

Josh Lewenberg

@jlewenberg.bsky.social

The Raptors have turned the locker room in their practice facility into a Kyle Lowry shrine.

6745d ago

Quoting this

Matt Shantz5

Okay, here me out here, folks...I'm putting together a heist and need a crew.

Exia Ross2

this is how you honor a legend

Eric Koreen

@ekoreen.bsky.social

Kyle Lowry, the greatest Raptor to do it, has announced his retirement. Free to read.

7745d ago

Eric Koreen25

Not to make this about me, but I'll make this about me: This was the first big piece I wrote about Lowry, when he was traded to Toronto, and it was one of the first pieces to make me feel like I might not be a total fraud doing this.

Mike Hrynyshyn1

Part of me wondered if his video yesterday was leading to a joint retirement with DeMar

Quoting this

My IRL friends call me Chris5

“If it does and when it does it will be a super emotional day,” Lowry said in January about the Raptors potentially retiring his No. 7. “I put a lot of blood sweat and tears into that seven and to know that it probably will never be worn again will be pretty special." #GiftLink 🎁

Toronto Blue Jays

@bluejaysbot.bsky.social

From North Philly to OUR City 🐐🏆🏀 Congratulations to Kyle Lowry on an incredible career!

2045d ago

Blake Murphy

@blakemurphy.bsky.social

Kyle Lowry has officially signed a one-day contract with the Raptors & subsequently announced his retirement. There will be 3 Lowry-themed nights at Raptors games this year plus his jersey retirement at date TBD. Weekend of activities in Sept celebrating Lowry, & more details:

2345d ago

Richard Deitsch

@richarddeitsch.bsky.social

The @tempobasketball.bsky.social announced today that Kyle Lowry and entrepreneur and philanthropist Ayahna Cornish-Lowry have joined the team's ownership group.

2245d ago

Adam Radwanski

@aradwanski.bsky.social

I wasn’t always a Raptors diehard. But I’ve been one for the last 13 years or so, and Kyle Lowry was more responsible for that than anyone else - and probably for my passing that fandom on to my kids as well. Thanks, 7.

2245d ago

Michael Grange

@michaelgrangenba.bsky.social

Kawhi is back, Kyle Lowry retires as a Raptor, could DeMar DeRozan reunion be next? Per multiple sources I've spoken with now, it seems unlikely, both because of the Raptors very tight cap situation and the market for a free agent DeRozan around the league.

1945d ago