Kyle Lowry, NBA all-star, still proud to be from North Philly
NEW ORLEANS - Kyle Lowry is still that feisty kid from 20th and Lehigh. Don't let the lucrative salary, an Olympic gold medal, or being a three-time NBA all-star fool you. The Toronto Raptors point guard still represents North Philly through and through. So much so that you are reminded of it during pregame introductions at the Air Canada Centre.
NEW ORLEANS - Kyle Lowry is still that feisty kid from 20th and Lehigh.
Don't let the lucrative salary, an Olympic gold medal, or being a three-time NBA all-star fool you. The Toronto Raptors point guard still represents North Philly through and through. So much so that you are reminded of it during pregame introductions at the Air Canada Centre.
That's when you'll hear the public address announcer say, "A 6-foot point guard out of North Philly, Kyle Lowry" whenever he is introduced.
"There's a big pride coming from North Philly," said Lowry, who will compete in his third consecutive All-Star Game on Sunday night at the Smoothie King Center. "To be honest, it's an amazing feeling. It's not many of us that said we've come from where we come from, and the struggles we come from.
"The twins [Marcus and Markieff Morris] and I, we take pride in where we come from. We want to represent our neighborhood the way it is supposed to be represented."
The Morris twins are having solid NBA seasons. Marcus is averaging a career-best 14.2 points as a small forward for the Detroit Pistons. Markieff, a power forward, is producing 14.9 points for the Washington Wizards. This is his best season scoring since he averaged 15.3 points with the Phoenix Suns in 2014-15.
But make no mistake: Lowry is the alpha dog when it comes to the current North Philadelphians in the league.
The former standout at Villanova and Cardinal Dougherty High School gets better with each season.
Lowry set career highs in scoring average (21.2) and three-point percentage (.388) last season. The 11th-year veteran is on pace to shatter those marks this season, averaging 22.8 points and shooting 41.7 percent on three-pointers. He's also averaging career bests in rebounds (4.8), field-goal percent (46.3), and minutes played (37.7).
His 185 made three-pointers rank third in the league behind Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry (220) and Houston Rockets point guard James Harden (185).
The 30-year-old didn't have a good showing, however, in the three-point contest Saturday night that was part of All-Star Weekend. He failed to get out of the first round, finishing last with nine points.
But the big game will come Sunday, and his selection to the Eastern Conference team was different from those the previous two seasons.
Lowry was named a starter in fan voting the previous two seasons. His votes were shy of accomplishing that this season. He was later elected an all-star by conference coaches.
"Either way, I'm happy to be here," he said. "The coaches vote, that just shows the respect they have for you and it's how you lead the team. I've always been a guy that's worked hard, and I think the coaches see that."
But being a three-time all-star is just half of Lowry's story. He and DeMar DeRozan are the faces of a Raptors franchise that reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time last season. Lowry also won a gold medal in the Rio Olympics last summer.
He accomplished things that he never imagined while growing up.
"It's crazy," Lowry said. "Me coming from where I come from, living in row homes at 20th and Lehigh, I was trying to find a way just to get a basketball game in.
"The only thing I miss now is an NBA championship."