What to know
- Kyle Lowry’s No. 7 jersey will be retired during the Raptors’ 2026-27 season, becoming just the second retired number in franchise history.
- The Raptors announced a September celebration weekend featuring a charity golf tournament, a free fan block party and a gala honouring the franchise legend.
- Lowry officially retired as a Toronto Raptor after signing a ceremonial one-day contract, ending his 20-year NBA career where he won the franchise’s first NBA championship in 2019.
- The jersey retirement ceremony date will be announced once the NBA releases its 2026-27 regular-season schedule.
Kyle Lowry’s legacy in Toronto is about to become permanent.
Just hours after signing a ceremonial one-day contract to retire as a Toronto Raptor, the franchise announced Tuesday that Lowry’s No. 7 jersey will be retired during the 2026-27 NBA season, making him just the second player in team history to receive the honour after Vince Carter.
“This is home, and Toronto will always be home. Together we built something special here, and together we became champions,” Lowry said after signing the contract at OVO Athletic Centre.
“I always said I would retire as a Raptor, and to be able to do that today means everything to me.”
The jersey retirement ceremony will take place at Scotiabank Arena during the upcoming season, with the date to be announced once the NBA releases its 2026-27 schedule.
Raptors announce weekend-long celebration for the ‘GROAT’
The Raptors also unveiled a slate of events to celebrate Lowry’s career and impact on Toronto later this summer.
The festivities begin Friday, Sept. 18, with The KLow Invitational, a charity golf tournament hosted by the Raptors and MLSE Foundation. Friends, former teammates, partners and guests will participate, with proceeds supporting a youth initiative selected by Kyle and Ayahna Lowry.
On Saturday, Sept. 19, fans will be invited to Kyle’s Block Party, a free daytime celebration featuring career highlights, activations, merchandise and special appearances. Free passes will be made available through Raptors Fan Access at a later date.
The weekend concludes with A Night For Seven, a gala celebrating Lowry’s legacy while raising funds for MLSE Foundation.
The organization said charitable initiatives supported through the events will be announced throughout the 2026-27 season, creating new opportunities for the Lowry family to support youth and communities across Toronto.
The Raptors also announced three Kyle Lowry-themed home games during the season, featuring special in-arena programming, guest appearances, collectible merchandise and giveaways ahead of his jersey retirement ceremony.
‘Kyle is the Toronto Raptors’
General manager and executive vice-president Bobby Webster said Lowry helped define the franchise’s identity during its most successful era.
“Kyle is the Toronto Raptors — he created an identity for the Raptors that we strive to uphold every time we take the floor: play hard and play to win, for your teammates, for Toronto and for Canada,” Webster said.
“Put your body on the line. Take a charge, dive for a loose ball — do all the little things that don’t always show up in the box score, but add up to a storied, celebrated career.”
Webster added that Lowry’s No. 7 “will always be remembered with the Raptors’ very first championship.”
The greatest Raptor of all time
Lowry spent nine seasons in Toronto between 2012 and 2021, helping transform the Raptors into perennial contenders.
During that span, he led Toronto to seven consecutive playoff appearances, two Eastern Conference Finals and the franchise’s first NBA championship in 2019.
He remains the Raptors’ all-time leader in assists (4,277), steals (873) and three-pointers made (1,518), while ranking second in franchise history in both points scored (10,540) and games played (601).
Widely regarded as the Greatest Raptor of All Time, often referred to by fans as the “GROAT,” Lowry’s No. 7 will soon hang in the rafters alongside Toronto’s 2019 NBA championship banner, commemorating the player who helped deliver the city’s first NBA title.
