Kyle Lowry ended his 20-year NBA career and officially retired as a Raptors player.

July 8th - According to ESPN , 40 -year-old veteran Kyle Lowry has officially announced his retirement. He signed a symbolic " one - day contract " with the Toronto Raptors, ending his 20- year NBA career as a Raptors player .

Kyle Lowry announced his retirement in a video posted on social media, expressing his gratitude to his family, friends, teammates, coaches, staff, media, and fans. " Thank you Toronto, thank you Canada, I will retire as a Toronto Raptors player. 20 years and 1 day, number 7 will always belong here. " The choice of July 7th for the official announcement also echoes the number 7 jersey he wore during his time with the Raptors .

Kyle Lowry was selected 24th overall in the first round of the 2006 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. Throughout his career, he played for the Grizzlies, Rockets, Raptors, Heat, and 76ers . During his time with the Raptors from 2012 to 2021 , he was a six- time All-Star and helped the team win the 2019 NBA championship, earning him the title of " Raptors' greatest player of all time ( GROAT ) " among fans .

Throughout his career, Lowry played 1,187 regular season games, averaging 13.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists, making 2,209 three-pointers, ranking 14th in NBA history . He advanced to the playoffs 12 times, averaging 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. He also won a gold medal with the US men's basketball team at the 2016 Rio Olympics and was named to the All- NBA Team in the 2015-16 season . After retiring, Lowry will become a sports analyst for Prime Video , embarking on a new chapter in his career.

Image source: Internet