Nick Nurse, Kyle Lowry Land Love From Raptors Fans on Sunday

Philadelphia 76ers' Nick Nurse and Kyle Lowry get a nice ovation from Toronto Raptors fans on Sunday.

Mar 31, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kyle Lowry (7) arrives at the | Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

For the first time since joining the Philadelphia 76ers, Kyle Lowry returned to Canada to take on his former team, the Toronto Raptors.

It was a special night for Lowry, as the Philly native was playing for his hometown team against the organization where he spent many years and won an NBA title for the first and only time in his career.

To no surprise, Lowry lands love from Toronto fans every time he’s back to take on the Raptors. So does his head coach, Nick Nurse.

Like Lowry, Nurse’s first championship-winning season occurred with the Raptors. At the time, Nurse took over as a first-year head coach and helped the Raptors accomplish their first NBA Championship victory in the franchise’s history.

When the two were introduced on Sunday night, the reception was positive.

Warm ovation for Kyle Lowry and Nick Nurse when introduced before today’s game. Nurse wasn’t in the mood to get sentimental before the game, but Lowry reiterated Friday that he will sign a one-day contract with the Raptors when he retires. pic.twitter.com/kGyAHNk2vV

— Gina Mizell (@ginamizell) March 31, 2024

Lowry wasn’t a homegrown prospect in Toronto, but he played his most prominent basketball for the Raptors.

After spending a few seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies to start his NBA journey, Lowry landed on the Houston Rockets in 2009. During the summer of 2012, Lowry was traded to the Toronto Raptors.

For nine seasons, Lowry started 585 games for the Raptors. He averaged 18 points, and seven assists, while knocking down 38 percent of his threes during his tenure. For seven of those nine years, Lowry made playoff runs with the Raptors, where he started in all 84 of the postseason games he appeared in.

As for Nick Nurse, he joined the Raptors after finding success in the NBA G League as the head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He spent several seasons as an assistant before taking over as the head coach in 2018.

Nurse achieved an impressive 227-163 record with the Raptors across five seasons. After the Raptors missed the playoffs last year, the organization decided to part ways and get a fresh start.

Coming off of their stint with Doc Rivers running the show, the Sixers hired Nurse. Midway through Nurse’s first run in Philly, the 76ers reunited him with Kyle Lowry, who reached a buyout with the Charlotte Hornets weeks after getting traded by the Miami Heat.