5 most memorable moments from Kyle Lowry's Raptors tenure

Kyle Lowry is finally making his long-awaited return to Toronto.

The former Raptors fan favorite will be back in town Sunday for the first time since joining the Miami Heat in a sign-and-trade last summer. Expect a lengthy tribute from the team with which he created countless indelible memories over nine seasons.

Here are five of the most memorable moments of Lowry's Raptors tenure.

5. Friendship with DeRozan

While not technically one specific instance, some of the most delightful memories of Lowry's time in Toronto involve his escapades with fellow ex-Raptors great DeMar DeRozan.

The longstanding friendship between the two didn't immediately develop after Lowry's arrival from the Houston Rockets in the summer of 2012. But there's arguably no occasion that better demonstrates how close the pair grew than the one depicted above: DeRozan consoling a heartbroken Lowry after Paul Pierce blocked the latter's last-gasp attempt against the Brooklyn Nets in Game 7 of the first round of the 2014 playoffs.

"That's my man," Lowry said of DeRozan after the gut-wrenching loss. "He said, 'If anybody is taking that shot, I'm living and dying with you taking that shot, or trying to attempt to get that shot off.' It was a great brotherly moment."

The bond between the two only seemed to intensify from there. From postgame pressers going off the rails to Lowry taking shots at DeRozan's math skills, the duo's unwavering friendship was a core aspect of the Raptors' culture for the better part of a decade.

4. A record comeback

The Raptors were down 30 points to the Dallas Mavericks in the third quarter on Dec. 22, 2019.

That wasn't insurmountable to Lowry, though.

With Toronto trailing by 23 entering the fourth, Lowry put on one of his best single-quarter performances, scoring 20 points in the final frame - one fewer than the Mavericks scored as a team. Of the five Raptors players who were on the floor for the bulk of the quarter, Lowry was the only usual starter; not only did he will his team to the greatest comeback in franchise history, he did it with the bench.

And it wasn't as if Toronto needed the whole 12 minutes to catch up. The Raptors were behind by 30 with 3:23 left in the third, yet it was 95-95 with five-and-a-half minutes left in regulation.

Dallas kept it close down the stretch, but Lowry found a driving Chris Boucher for a massive one-handed dunk with 25.8 seconds left to give the Raptors the lead for good.

"All (Kyle) said was 'keep pushing,'" Boucher said after the comeback win. "He led us the right way, put us in great spots. Kyle does that every time. Even when people don't see it. Kyle's a great leader. That's why our coach put us with him; he knows he's going to put us in good position and he's going to play hard.

"It's always good to have someone like that on your team."

3. Showered with love after East finals

Raptors fans had waited patiently to hear from their starting point guard.

But before Lowry could speak after Toronto's Game 6 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2019 Eastern Conference finals - which sent the Raptors to the NBA Finals for the first time in team history - it was the home crowd that had something to say first.

As TNT broadcaster Ernie Johnson began to direct his postgame questioning toward the ball-handler, Raptors supporters erupted into a raucous standing ovation that temporarily paused the interview as Lowry appeared to hold back tears.

"We'll let you enjoy that," Johnson said as the crowd took over.

When they tried to resume the interview, deafening chants of "Lowry!" broke out, briefly derailing the conversation again and prompting a huge smile from Lowry.

It was a poignant moment that encapsulated just how intertwined the six-time All-Star had become with the franchise and its rabid fan base. Lowry may not have been the MVP of that title-winning squad, but as its longest-tenured member, he was the heartbeat - and the fans made sure to let him know.

2. Showing up the Knicks

Toronto was preparing a total teardown in December 2013.

Days after the team ended the Rudy Gay experiment by shipping him to the Sacramento Kings, Lowry was poised for his own exit as then-general manager Masai Ujiri looked to leverage his starting point guard for a rebuild. Lowry had one foot out the door in an agreed-upon deal with the New York Knicks, but Knicks owner James Dolan reportedly abandoned the trade at the last minute over fears of being swindled by Ujiri.

The Raptors faced the Knicks in a home-and-home back-to-back two weeks later, and Lowry came ready. After recording a 15-point double-double in the first game in New York, Lowry put up 32 points - his season high at that point - and added 11 assists and eight rebounds in Toronto, helping the Raptors take both games by double digits and ostensibly sending a message to Dolan.

Lowry would average 23.5 points against New York that season as the Raptors snapped a five-season playoff drought. The Knicks, meanwhile, wouldn't make the postseason until 2021.

To cap it all off, Lowry re-signed with Toronto the following summer, inking a four-year, $48-million deal.

"At the end of the day, the decision was made for me to be here, and it worked out equally, perfectly for both parties," Lowry said in 2016.

Lowry had yet to realize exactly how beneficial it was for him and the Raptors to stay together a little longer.

1. Taking over Game 6

Lowry had a chance at ultimate glory in the final seconds of Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals.

But with Toronto up 3-1 in the series and trailing the Golden State Warriors 106-105 on its home court, Draymond Green narrowly blocked Lowry's last-gasp 3-point attempt from the corner to force Game 6 in Oakland.

That unsatisfying moment might have invigorated Lowry.

The Villanova product came out blazing in Game 6, opening the contest on a personal 8-0 run and scoring the Raptors' first 11 points in just over two minutes. Nearly three-and-a-half minutes elapsed before another Toronto player finally scored: a 3-pointer by Pascal Siakam - assisted by Lowry.

Lowry and Siakam led the Raptors with 26 points apiece in a title-clinching win. Lowry set the tone early and fell just three rebounds shy of a triple-double, adding three steals and finishing a game-high plus-16 in 42 minutes.

It was the zenith of Lowry's Toronto tenure, and it was no surprise that he was the first Raptors player to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy during the postgame celebrations. The triumph cemented Lowry's status as the greatest player in franchise history - and very likely the last player to ever wear No. 7 for Toronto.