Kyle Lowry’s No. 7 Jersey Retirement: A Tribute to a Raptors Legend
Kyle Lowry’s No. 7 is going where it always felt destined to be — into the rafters, beside the legends, above the noise.
The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday that they will retire Lowry’s No. 7 on Jan. 10, when they host his hometown Philadelphia 76ers at Scotiabank Arena. On that night, Vince Carter’s jersey will no longer stand alone.
For Lowry, this was the finish line he’d been staring at for years.
“I’ve been looking forward to this moment for years. I always said that Toronto is home, and that I’d retire a Raptor, and to see my No. 7 go up in that building is going to mean everything to me,” he said in a statement released by the team.
Those aren’t throwaway words. Lowry didn’t just pass through Toronto. He helped rewire the franchise.
From stubborn point guard to franchise cornerstone
When Lowry arrived, the Raptors were still searching for an identity. By the time he left, they were champions.
Across nine seasons in Toronto, Lowry became the heartbeat of the team: the charge-taking, floor-slapping, argument-starting point guard who dragged the franchise from afterthought to contender. He helped lead the Raptors to their first-ever NBA title in 2019, the crowning achievement of an era he helped build.
“We built something special here — my teammates, the organization, the city and the fans, and all of Canada. We became champions together, and to be able to share this night with all of them, and with my family, is going to mean a lot to me,” Lowry said.
The Raptors plan to stretch the celebration over several days. The organization will honour him with special events at home games against Minnesota on Jan. 7 and Utah on Jan. 8, leading into the jersey retirement ceremony on Jan. 10.
A career that changed a franchise
Lowry, now 40, officially walked away from the game after the 2025-26 season, finishing his playing days with the 76ers. On July 7, he signed a one-day contract to retire as a Raptor — a formality that only confirmed what everyone already knew: his basketball soul belongs to Toronto.
His résumé in Canada is unmatched. He is widely regarded as the greatest Raptor of all time, not just because of the banner he helped raise, but because of the way he touched every part of the game.
Known for his toughness and all-around play, Lowry made six All-Star teams, every single one of them as a Raptor. In 2015-16, he was named to the All-NBA Third Team, recognition of a season in which he didn’t just steer the offense, he defined it.
Across his career, he averaged 13.8 points, six assists and four rebounds per game — numbers that only hint at his impact. The Raptors’ record book tells the fuller story.
Lowry leaves as the franchise leader in assists, steals, three-pointers and triple-doubles. He ranks second in games played and points. When the lights were brightest, he didn’t shrink; he sharpened. He also sits atop the franchise lists for playoff points and playoff games.
His defining night came on the biggest stage the Raptors have ever known: Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. In a hostile arena, with a title within reach, Lowry opened the game by scoring the first 11 Raptors points, setting a tone that never faded as Toronto closed out the Golden State Warriors and secured the championship.
That start wasn’t just a hot streak. It was a statement from the player who had spent years absorbing blame in earlier playoff exits. When it finally mattered most, he seized the moment.
A number, a legacy, a standard
On Jan. 10, when No. 7 rises into the rafters, it will represent more than a player. It will mark a transformation.
From the years of doubt to the years of belief. From a team searching for relevance to a franchise with a title and an identity rooted in grit, intelligence and fight — all traits that mirrored its point guard.
Carter gave Toronto its first global star. Lowry gave it its edge, its stubbornness, its championship.
Soon, every time a young Raptor looks up at that retired No. 7, the question will be the same: can they live up to the standard Kyle Lowry set?
