Toronto Raptors: Kyle Lowry continues to cement legacy

Kyle Lowry set a new Toronto Raptors’ record for assists as he continues to leave his mark as the top play in franchise history.

Going into Tuesday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, there was no word about Kyle Lowry being close to establishing a new Toronto Raptors franchise mark.

Then in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Haws, Lowry registered his  3,772 assist passing Jose Calderon for the top spot in the team’s record books. It was a mark established during the 2012-13 season before Calderon was traded to the Detroit Pistons.

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While this might not seem like a massive deal, the 33-year-old had already established himself the best Raptors player of all-time helping the team capture its first NBA title last season. On top of that, he is also the franchise leader in three-pointers made, steals and many other offensive and defensive categories.

For eight seasons, Lowry has been a stabilizing force for the team averaging 20 points, 7.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. Considering many were wondering if he could continue to be productive as he gets older but that hasn’t been the case.

A concerning development in this game was seeing Marc Gasik and OG Anunoby leave the game with injuries. Considering the Raptors were just getting their full lineup back, you have to wonder who pissed off the basketball Gods.

Nick Nurse said after the game that there was no update on the severity of either injury. Fortunately, the Raptors still have enough depth to deal with a potential injury to Gasol or Anunoby especially with their next three games against the Cavs, Pistons and Bulls.

Another touching moment from the game was seeing the reaction from the crowd when Vince Carter was given a video tribute from the Raptors. This might be one of the last times the former Raptor plays in Toronto (Atlanta has one more game at Scotiabank Arena) and you can bet that one will have more emotion involved.

Do you think Lowry has cemented his status as the Raptors best player of all-time or is there anybody else that should be considered? Let us know in the comments below.