Why is Nick Nurse excited for Kyle Lowry to join the Sixers? ‘Nobody competes like that guy’
Lowry signed a $2.8 million contract with the Sixers. The former Cardinal Dougherty High and Villanova standout will join the team next week and start his second stint under Nurse.
Kyle Lowry’s will to win just might be his best attribute.
“Nobody competes like that guy,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. “Like I haven’t had a player my entire coaching career that competes like that guy. So that’s the highest compliment I can give him.”
Lowry signed a $2.8 million contract with the Sixers for the rest of the season on Tuesday. He will join the team next week. This will be the former Cardinal Dougherty High and Villanova standout’s second go-round with Nurse.
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Lowry was Nurse’s standout point guard on the Toronto Raptors’ 2019 NBA championship team. Back then, the 6-footer was in the midst of six straight NBA All-Star selections. Lowry, who turns 38 on March 25, was three years removed from winning a gold medal in the 2016 Olympics. And he was the face of the Raptors.
The Sixers are also excited about Lowry, an 18-year veteran, offering leadership and helping them reach the playoffs. Yet, instead of being a star, the team is looking for him to add depth.
“He gives us another ball handler, backup point guard, whatever,” Nurse said. “Second point guard, whatever you want to say with that. You got some three-point shooting, and you got some very good defensive knowledge, especially team defense, schematically and stuff like that.”
Lowry signed with the Sixers upon clearing waivers after being bought out by Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. The Hornets had acquired him in a trade from the Miami Heat on Jan. 23.
He averaged 8.2 points, 4.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 28 minutes in 37 games this season in Miami. He started in each of his first 35 appearances.
“He brings a lot of veteran leadership and he still has talent,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “When we made the move, I think I said when we first acquired him, the thing about Kyle, you evaluate him based on how the team does. Basically everywhere he’s been for the last decade, plus, he has been able to impact winning with organizations. And he’s done that for us.”
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The Heat reached the NBA Finals last season, falling to the Denver Nuggets. They reached the Eastern Conference finals in 2022, Lowry’s first season in Miami.
“We didn’t accomplish our ultimate goal,” Spoelstra said. “But there were a lot of playoff wins, and he had a big part in all of that.”
He has averages of 14.4 points, 6.2 assists and 2.3 turnovers in 1,115 career games and 866 starts with the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Raptors and Heat.
“We certainly needed a little more ball handling,” Nurse said, “and we got a couple extras now. That’s good. We still like to concentrate on a possessions game. So low turnovers are important to us, guys that make good decisions.”
The Sixers also acquired reserve point guard Cameron Payne from the Milwaukee Bucks in a trade for Patrick Beverley on Thursday.
Lowry had other opportunities in the buyout market, but ultimately felt his hometown Sixers were the best fit. And Spoelstra expects him to do well in Philly.
“Leadership, competitive toughness and playoff experience,” Spoelstra said of what Lowry brings. “He’s been able to win in the playoffs. He has a bunch of playoff games under his belt. And he knows how to impact winning for sure.”