Getty Former Raptors star Kyle Lowry chose the Miami Heat to win a championship.
Kyle Lowry already has one championship ring on his finger and the decision behind joining the Miami Heat was to get another one. The team’s new starting point guard revealed his intentions on a recent episode of the “Pull Up with CJ McCollum.”
Lowry was acquired in a controversial sign-and-trade from the Toronto Raptors back in early August. The 35-year-old free agent detailed multiple reasons for choosing Miami, including his friendship with Jimmy Butler and their shared vision of wanting to win a championship. That feeling was something Lowry felt the entire Heat organization prioritized.
“For me, it’s only championships or bust,” Lowry said, via NBA.com. “Going to Miami, that was a situation where I felt like that’s what they want to do. I have a close friend in Jimmy Butler there. And in Miami, that’s what they want to do. If you’re not playing for championships, what are you playing for? And that’s the only thought process that went into my free agency.”
The six-time All-Star also confirmed he had the opportunity to leave Toronto at last year’s trade deadline. It came down to jumping ship for either Miami or his hometown of Philadelphia, but he didn’t want to ditch his Raptors teammates in the middle of the season.
“I was like ‘it’d be cool to go home to Philly or go to Miami’ but I didn’t want to be traded and leave my guys,” Lowry said. “Let me finish this year out.”
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Lowry’s Other Offers in Free Agency
According to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, the one-time NBA champion heard overtures from the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks in free agency.
New Orleans was willing to go as high as $90 million over three years, slightly more than the $85 million Lowry got in Miami. Lowry chose the Heat because of “championships or bust,” but the Mavericks finished a strong second in the running.
The Miami Heat currently are viewed as the front-runner to sign veteran point guard Kyle Lowry in free agency, a league source tells @MavericksSI.
The Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans remain serious suitors for Lowry’s services.
And the decision to leave Toronto wasn’t an easy one for Lowry. Canada was his adopted home.
“I became a man there. That’s where I grew to become the person I am now,” Lowry said. “To be a part of that organization, that country, that city, it means the world to me. I wouldn’t be here without that opportunity and that chance that they gave me.”
Does Dion Waiters Deserve Another Shot?
Dion Waiters spent four tumultuous seasons with the Heat and incurred three suspensions, including one “idiotic” mistake stemming from ingesting too many marijuana edibles. He averaged 13.9 points and 3.6 assists in 123 games in South Beach.
Dion Waiters. 💪
Waiters’ name was trending on Twitter earlier this week after he posted a motivational message on social media. In it, the 29-year-old shooting guard appears in tip-top physical shape while shedding light on some of the hardships he was going through during his time in Miami.
“No, I don’t want no sympathy,” Waiters wrote. “I’ve grew and learn from my mistakes and I can honestly say it made me a better person moving forward.”
Waiters hasn’t played since the 2019-20 season when the Los Angeles Lakers picked him up after the Heat cut him. Everyone deserves a second chance, right?