Playing in all-star games never gets old for Lowry
Raptors guard says the best part of event is sharing the weekend with his two sons
Kyle Lowry wasn’t supposed to be here. Six straight all-star selections. All after turning 28 years old. A staple at the NBA’s midseason classic. Not bad for a late first-round selection who missed most of his rookie season due to an injury, and didn’t even fully establish himself as a starter until he was 27, and on his third team.
With that unorthodox journey and all of the experiences within comes some perspective for Lowry.
“I enjoy it even more every single time, because you never know when it’s going to not be there,” Lowry said during a recent interview with Postmedia.
Lowry particularly enjoys the family time and how much fun his sons Karter and Kameron have hanging around and taking part in the weekend. Lowry said he was trying to get Karter a ballboy gig in Chicago.
“Having my kids around to see the other guys (is the best part),” Lowry said.
“Because I have friends that are all-stars and my kids get to take pictures with them and create those memories. And those guys treat my kids like their own. I really appreciate it,” he said.
“They already knew what all-star is (even when they were younger). They understand it and now it’s just more fun for them to be there and they’ve been on TV (sometimes, like during the classic slam dunk contest in 2016), so they’re used to it. So it’s cool for memories and stuff like that.”
Lowry’s been a part of all-star weekend in New York City, Los Angeles, Charlotte, New Orleans and now Chicago, but it’s obvious which experience was his favourite.
“Here was the best. We (he and best friend DeMar DeRozan) were all-stars and (it was) Kobe’s last one now, and being able to be home in Toronto and starting in front of the fans. It was the best one for sure,” Lowry said.
At the time of the conversation, Lowry wasn’t yet sure which team he’d be on, so I asked if he wanted to play for Nick Nurse on Team Giannis Antetokounmpo, or against him.
“Always want to be on the same team for sure. It would be great to play for my coach again. It would be cool, man.”
As it turned out, Lowry and Nurse were reunited by Antetokounmpo, along with fellow Raptor Pascal Siakam, and they were all happy about that turn of events.
Lowry’s path to this sixth all-star appearance is extremely unusual. The closest comparable is one of his mentors, former Detroit Pistons star Chauncey Billups, who made five straight appearances after turning 29. By then, Billups was on his fifth team, including a 29-game stint with Toronto.
Lowry learned a lot from Billups, but isn’t so sure others will follow a similar route.
“I don’t know if it’s a pathway,” Lowry said.
“I just think it worked out that way. The opportunity was that it came later in my career and I took advantage of it.”
Earlier, Lowry had been asked during a scrum what it meant to be an all-star the first time.
“It meant the world. Because it was something I worked for so hard and my teammates helped me get to that,” he said.
“My teammates and the fans helped me get to be a starter my first time. It just showed that, you know, being yourself can get you places further than you think you can.”
As Lowry alluded, there are no guarantees he’ll be back for another all-star weekend. The NBA gets younger all of the time, with stars rising to take the place of those getting well into their 30s. Still, based on past history, it’s never wise to count Lowry out.
Nobody would be surprised to see him on the court next year for a seventh appearance.
I have friends that are all-stars and my kids get to take pictures with them and create those memories. And those guys treat my kids like their own.