Sunday, Kyle Lowry shook up sports fan's evenings, officially announcing that he would be returning to the Toronto Raptors.
Of course, it wouldn't be a real re-signing without the addition of an accompanying open letter to the fans via The Players Tribune, an action that has become commonplace in professional sports (site founder Derek Jeter stays winning in retirement). In the letter appropriately titled "Home," Lowry outlined exactly why he chose to stay with the Raptors, pointing towards two key factors.
First, he believed it was only right to return the favour to the organization, showing them that much like how they believed in him when they originally brought him in, he still believes in them now. Second, Lowry spoke about how Toronto now feels like home to him, and most importantly, to his family as well. In the piece, Lowry included a heartwarming anecdote that showed just how much his oldest son Carter has come to love living in Canada.
When I told my sons that we were staying in T.O., their reaction, man — O.K., I’m going to be honest: My youngest, he’s too young to care. But my oldest … when I saw Karter’s reaction, that’s how I knew for sure this was right. I could tell right away, just from the look on his face. I could tell that if we’d left … for him, it wouldn’t have just been about moving, you know, from any one place to another. It would have been a lot tougher than that. It would have been about truly leaving — leaving his friends, leaving his school, leaving this city that he’s grown attached to. We would have been leaving a place that is really just … you know, it’s part of our family now. We’d have been leaving home. - (Players Tribune)
Later on in the letter, Lowry further discusses just how much of his decision was based on his emotions towards living in Toronto, also lamenting on the fact that he still hasn't tried one of Canada's finest delicacies.
I’m coming back to Toronto because my heart is telling me that it’s home — and because staying home, for me and my family, feels like the right thing to do. My heart is telling me that this is the best city in the world, with the best basketball fans in the world. It’s telling me that the Raptors can be a championship-level team, sooner than later. And I’ll be honest (and don’t hate) — it’s telling me that I’ve still never had poutine.I’m coming back to Toronto because my heart is telling me that it’s home — and because staying home, for me and my family, feels like the right thing to do. My heart is telling me that this is the best city in the world, with the best basketball fans in the world. It’s telling me that the Raptors can be a championship-level team, sooner than later. And I’ll be honest (and don’t hate) — it’s telling me that I’ve still never had poutine. - (Players Tribune)
You can now expect Lowry to receive an offering of poutine from every single basketball fan across the country any time they see the point guard now. That's just the way things are at home.
