John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Kyle Lowry Shares His Advice for Scottie Barnes
Kyle Lowry had seen enough.
He'd watched the way Scottie Barnes moved with the ball and how he got to the rim with his unusual combination of size and speed. Lowry even took it on the chin once, getting beat in the second quarter by Barnes' post-up. It was enough for Lowry to know the Toronto Raptors rookie is the real deal.
Before leaving the court Sunday night following his emotional return to Toronto, Lowry grabbed Barnes for a brief chat.
“I just told him to keep going. He’s a great talent. His passion and effort — he’s a special talent," Lowry recalled. "He’s gonna be one of those guys that leads a franchise. He’ll be a cornerstone of a franchise.
"He fits in perfectly here: how hard he plays and how passionate he is for the game. He’s only gonna continue to get better. I just told him to keep growing. Don’t stop.”
Whether or not Barnes knows it, he's already been molded by Lowry's leadership. It was the former Raptor who helped build Toronto's toughness DNA that's been passed down to this next group of Raptors.
"I think that when you come to a team, whatever the identity of a team is, whatever the organization, the coaching staff, and the leaders of the team preach, that's kind of what we go with," Pascal Siakam said. "I think that, yeah, (Kyle's) definitely a part of Toronto, and the Raptors, and he will be forever. Some of the things that he did to set up us coming in now and having this opportunity."
One day that torch will be passed again. VanVleet and Siakam will hand the reigns to Barnes and the next era of Raptors basketball will begin and whatever success they have will go back to the man who lay the foundation all those years ago.
Further Reading
Kyle Lowry reminds Raptors fans just how special he still is as Heat eke out victory
Fred VanVleet credits Kyle Lowry's mentorship as he nears Raptors' 3-point record
