Sixers’ Kyle Lowry, regarded as the greatest Raptor of all time, is happy to be ‘home’ in Toronto

TORONTO — Kyle Lowry kept mentioning he was home, figuratively speaking.

The 76ers point guard was born in North Philly and went on to star at Cardinal Dougherty High School and Villanova.

But he made his imprint as an NBA player during his nine seasons with the Toronto Raptors. In Canada, he’s regarded as the greatest Raptor of all-time for being a six-time All-Star and leading the franchise to its only NBA title in 2019.

“I like the name,” Lowry said Friday of the moniker. “It’s funny. But as long as the fans say it, for me it just shows much more they loved me and they respect me. And I gave pretty much everything, blood sweat, tears, championship, losses, wins. But I gave everything to this place. I continue to get the fruits of my labor while coming back up here from the fans and everyone around. So it’s a pretty cool name.”

Friday night’s contest will mark the ninth time he’s returned to Scotiabank Arena to face the Raptors since being traded to the Miami Heat on Aug. 6, 2021. His first seven trips back were as a member of the Heat before signing with the Sixers on Feb. 13.

But during his playing days here, Lowry was the face of the franchise. He always received a loud ovation during pregame introductions when the public address would yell “From North Philly, Kyle Lowry.” There were also several murals of him inside and outside of the arena. And a lot of his No. 7 jerseys were worn in the stands.

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The 38-year-old said he never envisioned having this type of impact on a team in Canada, where hockey is king.

“That’s why this is a place that I call home,” Lowry added. “I didn’t know what to expect coming here. But I embraced it. Not only the city, but the country of Canada. … Like when you just embrace it, and you see the things that happen, just when you give it all in, because they make you want to be here. The fans, the frenzy that we created that makes you have to [embrace it], you should.”

He realized that when the Raptors win, it is not just for the city, they win for the country. Canadians celebrate their success all over Canada.

“You are doing it for a country,” he said. “It’s a place I call home. It’s a beautiful place.”

Joel Embiid and Paul George are with the Sixers on their two-game road trip that concludes against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

Embiid is sidelined with what the team labeled as left knee injury management. Meanwhile, George is sidelined with a left knee bone bruise.