Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Four games in four nights?
Lowry, Dedmon eager for stretch that includes Super Bowl LVII
Kyle Lowry plans to be on the move next weekend, as does Miami Heat teammate Dewayne Dedmon. And those plans, at least at the moment, have nothing to do with Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.
For as much as went wrong for the Heat during their 1-3 road trip, Lowry and Dedmon still got to enjoy a moment that they hope will lead to an even more enjoyable moment.
They’re going to the Super Bowl LVII. Well, at least Lowry is, with Dedmon hoping to hitch a ride as part of the Philadelphia Eagles bandwagon.
A native of Philadelphia, Lowry was in Minnesota in 2018 when the Eagles won Super Bowl LII 41-33 over the New England Patriots and has made plans to be in Glendale, Ariz., next Sunday when his Eagles face the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I’ll be there,” he said. “Duh.” “I’m an Eagles fan, no matter what,” Lowry told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “You’re from Philly, you always think you’ve got an opportunity to win. Honestly, I’m so proud of those guys.
“I have a relationship with some of their guys in the organization. But the way Jalen Hurts has played has been unbelievable. But a guy like Fletcher Cox, who is my friend, I’m happy for him getting another opportunity to play for a Super Bowl.”
Provided he remains with the Heat through Thursday’s NBA trading deadline, it will be a schedule of four games in four nights, with the Heat hosting the Houston Rockets on Friday night, playing at the Orlando Magic on Saturday night, then, after Sunday’s Super Bowl, hosting the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.
The Heat typically have allowed players to alter their schedules when it comes to events such as alma maters participating in the NCAA Final Four, provided they make it back in time for games.
For Lowry, such a trip would require a private plane at the ready, as was the case in 2018, when Lowry was with the Toronto Raptors.
“I still had money then, too,” he said, now in the second year of a three-year $85 million contract.
Like Lowry, Dedmon has a longstanding passion for the Eagles, even with his California roots. Like Lowry, he also has been mentioned as a possible trade component for Thursday’s NBA deadline.
“I’ve got to figure it out,” Dedmon said. “But if Kyle’s going, I’m going. Come on, man, we’re Philly fans, of course we talk, we communicate. That’s what Philly fans do.”
Like Lowry, Dedmon did not exactly enter the season with Super Bowl expectations for the Eagles.
“At the start, I was unsure,”
Dedmon said. “I knew we were going to make the playoffs. But as we started rolling, started realizing how good we really were, no one was messing with us. At the start, it was a work in progress. Once we got healthy and moving, we had the team to beat.”
Like Lowry, Dedmon said he has been there for the long ride, but would welcome any Heat teammate to jump aboard.
“Since elementary been doing this,” Dedmon, 33, said of his Eagles support. “I ain’t no bandwagon fan. But you’re more than welcome on the bandwagon, but you got to sit in the back.”
All-Star reaction
Having bypassed immediate comment after he was bypassed Thursday for an All-Star berth, Heat forward Jimmy Butler said he is planning to move on in another direction, while also pleased that teammate Bam Adebayo was selected for the Feb. 19 game in Utah.
“Me no All-Star? Please. I’ll see you’all when I see you’all,” Butler said. “But Bam does deserve that. He’s been carrying the load a lot this year. I’m happy for him. As for me? I’m happy I get a vacation.”