Lowry the latest Raptor going to Games
So Kyle Lowry will be an Olympian, as will DeMar DeRozan. They will go to Rio and they will dodge the Zika virus and they will stay on a boat, because USA Basketball is staying on a boat. A Toronto Raptor hasn’t been on a Team USA roster since Vince Carter dunked over the Frenchman. Times have changed, and changed back.
“I think it’s fantastic for them,” Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri says. “Great opportunity, and you know what, I played for Nigeria, and to play for your country is something that you can’t explain. It doesn’t matter about the circumstances, just to play for your country is something different.”
In fairness, this is a partly circumstantial honour. Between Zika and injuries and maybe the boat, it won’t be the A-plus roster than won two previous gold medals: no LeBron James, no Steph Curry, no Russell Westbrook, no Kawhi Leonard, no Chris Paul, on and on. This is a part of the wider exodus from what is seen as a bit of a chaos Super Bowl in Rio: Zika, the collapsing economy, the rampant corruption, the questionable transport, shooting that endangered jaguar dead, security concerns, and a wee touch of the Dengue. Golfers are pulling out, from Rory McIlroy to Adam Scott to Vijay Singh to Charl Schwartzel to Louis Oosthuizen. This Olympics feels like it could be something beyond the control of a nation, and the result will be a less starry event.
Lowry and DeRozan, however, are going. With Paul, Westbrook, Damian Lillard and John Wall all out, Lowry might be the only real point guard on the roster, unless Kyrie Irving says yes. He wasn’t on the 31-player list USA Basketball released earlier this year, while DeRozan was. Beyond the exits, it says something about both Lowry’s play and his perceived attitude that he’s on this team now.
But they are going, and this is . . . probably good. Probably. Yes, it was a long season. Yes, the Raptors took one fewer game off the Cleveland Cavaliers than the Golden State Warriors did, though in fairness, Cleveland took the Warriors a lot more seriously. A week or so ago Lowry said he hadn’t really touched a basketball since the season ended, but was working on weights, flexibility, and most of all, rest. Well, sources say USA players will start scrimmages Sunday in New York. The official team schedule runs from July 18 to August 21, if they reach the final.
It’s work. DeRozan has been re- markably durable, and Lowry reshaped his body and game last year in order to reduce the wear and tear. He said other than his elbow he was perfectly healthy in the playoffs; his diet and workout overhaul last summer helped. He’s still a 30-yearold point guard, but Ujiri doesn’t appear to be worried.
“Those guys are really responsible pros — they’re the last two guys that I worry about in the world, you know?” said Ujiri, in advance of the NBA draft. “They know their bodies, they know how to train, and will it break them off their regimen? Probably, but they’re two professionals who have shown, in my opinion, growth. Working has never been an issue with those guys, and I think they’ll figure out their schedule. And this is over in the middle of August, so it’s fine.”
“It’s great for us. DeMar is playing in the Olympics, Kyle is playing in the Olympics, Jonas (Valanciunas) is playing in the Olympics, Cory Joseph has a great chance to play in the Olympics if (Canada) qualifies, (Luis) Scola is playing in the Olympics, shoot, maybe I should go play for Nigeria, wrap it up.”
Whatever the downside, here’s what the Raptors get: their guys playing with great players. Their guys will get to sell other great players on Toronto, either directly or indirectly. They will show that you can be a Raptor and be there. You can be a Raptor and impress other players, agents, GMs, whoever. Part of Ujiri’s strategy has been to raise the franchise’s quality and profile, so that if and when a superstar becomes available, coming to Toronto would be an option. This doesn’t hurt.
A couple weeks ago Kyle Lowry was talking about fatherhood as part of a thing with Dove soap about being a dad, and he was asked, did having kids help you learn to trust people?
“Yeah, for sure, it definitely did,” Lowry said. “It took me a long time to get to the right position, to trust and know that there are people out there who are absolutely out there to team up with you and to care about you and to show compassion and love for you.”
Kyle Lowry used to be a malcontent, a loner, a guy you couldn’t trust. Times change.