Kyle Lowry Sends Message About What 'Derailed' his Season Last Year

Getty Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry handles the ball during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Since being eliminated from the Eastern Conference Finals by the Boston Celtics, the Miami Heat point guard Kyle Lowry’s weight has become a meme almost for Heat Nation. It’s not the first time that fans have pointed out somewhat of a body transformation from the star point guard, an NBA Memes page shared a side-by-side dating back to 2018 of the then Toronto Raptors guard. It isn’t just meme accounts that are mentioning it. Even-Heat team president Pat Riley has commented on Lowry’s weight.

“The bottom line with me and for me as far as hoping you can get the most out of a player,” Riley said. “… You have to be in world-class shape, you just have to be. He’s definitely gonna have to address that and it will be addressed.”

One of the reason’s that may have kept Lowry out of the tip-top shape that Heat Culture expects of its players was an ongoing personal reason that kept him off the court for nine games in a row from mid-January to February and then again for the same reasons from February 28 to March 3. It’s the personal reasons that Lowry said ‘derailed’ his season.

Lowry’s Season ‘Derailed’ with Ongoing Personal Situation

As Lowry missed time for personal reasons, the Heat organization encouraged him to take all of the time that he needed. The situation is ongoing, but the guard noted the effect it took last season. After being asked about his down year last year the guard elaborated on some of what held him back last year.

“I’m still dealing with it,” Lowry said of the family issue, “It’s a situation when it’s better, I’ll talk about it more. But it’s definitely something that kind of derailed my whole season and kept me derailed for a long time.”

It also seemed to be a constant for Lowry as he got a call about it during the Golf event that he was interviewed at.

“Still, to this day, it’s still something I deal with every single day. I actually got a phone call just now about it.”

Despite the lengthy concern, it has been Lowry remains in good spirits and is moving forward, focusing on the things he can control.

“It’s life,” Lowry said. “Life happens and you just have to continue to get better and focus on the things you can control and try to help as best you can.

“Because at the end of the day, I can’t do this or that. All I can do is go to people who can help me, and hopefully I can help them, and we can kind of work together and collaborate.”

Eric Spoelstra Predicts Lowry will Return in ‘the Best Shape of His Life”

Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra noted the missed games and what that does for a player’s conditioning and why he is not concerned about it.

“You have to take into context everything: The missed games, injuries. It’s not all apples to apples,” Spoelstra said.

“I think Kyle will come back in the next training camp in the best shape of his career.”

The Heat report to training camp in eight weeks, and Lowry has already gone viral this summer as someone who was “jacked,” according to one Twitter user.