Kyle Lowry embracing mentorship role on 76ers
Global News
A few years ago Kyle Lowry told reporters he would never accept a role as a bench warmer or an unofficial coach just to reach his 20th NBA season.
TORONTO – A few years ago Kyle Lowry told reporters he would never accept a role as a bench warmer or an unofficial coach just to reach his 20th NBA season.
Well, allegedly.
“Really?” said Lowry, cursing for emphasis. “I lied.”
After taking a moment for the reporters’ laughter to die down, the 39-year-old Philadelphia 76ers point guard — who is averaging 8.5 minutes of play over five games this season — explained what’s changed for him and what drove him to play one more NBA season, even in a diminished role.
“I think in the game of basketball, you’ve got to be able to take yourself out of it sometimes, and be able to say, ‘OK, how can I pay it forward a little bit?’ said Lowry on Sunday, sitting in his stall in the visitors’ locker room at Scotiabank Arena. “I’ve always been the guy that wanted to pay it forward.”
Lowry was selected 24th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2006 NBA Draft, playing there for three season before being traded to the Houston Rockets in February 2009. After four seasons in Houston, he was sent to the Toronto Raptors during the 2012 off-season.
It was the best fit of his career and Lowry spent nine seasons in Toronto, helping the Raptors win their only NBA championship in 2019.
He was sent to the Miami Heat in 2021, helping that team reach the 2023 NBA Finals. In 2024, he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets — although he never played for them — before joining his hometown Sixers via a contract buyout.
