The Size of the Fight in the Dog
By Darryl Reynolds
“Lowry is a little bit tougher. If those two got in a fight, I’d pick Lowry. I mean that guy is going to fight for ya”.
That’s what Jay Bilas had to say about Mr. Kyle Lowry 13 years ago around this time when he was picked number 24 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies.
“Lowry is a little bit tougher. If those two got in a fight, I’d pick Lowry. I mean that guy is going to fight for ya”. That’s what Jay Bilas had to say about Mr.Lowry 13 years ago around this time when he was picked number 24 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies. He was measuring him up against the Celtic’s legend and ironically enough, current LA Laker, Rajon Rondo. Kyle was a fast, scrappy, strong-willed point guard from Villanova, known for making what most people would call “toughness plays” while racking up a lot of his points in transition and drives to the basket. Anyone who follows Villanova Basketball these days would agree that these so-called “toughness plays” are a staple of the program, there’s even “Play Hard” written on the wall in their practice gym.
For anyone who’s watched the Finals knows that Kyle didn’t leave his grit on Lancaster Avenue. And if you were to ask him where it came from, he’ll certainly mention Villanova but would quickly let you know that he arrived on campus with a chip on his shoulder. So the biggest question is, where did he get this toughness from? It’s summed up into two words: North Philly.
So the biggest question is: where did he get it from? It’s summed up into two words: North Philly.
Photo:
“Norf” if you’re asking a Philly Native but North Philly would be the Krypton to this no-nonsense Superman-like character from West Somerset and North 19th Street; anyone from there will tell you he’s always been a fighter, on and off the court. It’s funny how in sports, all of the little nuances that define an individual as a person play directly into who they are in their competitive field. So when Kyle is gone, that’s what he’ll truly be remembered as, a fighter. Let’s go back two years before Jay Bilas’ on point analysis of who Kyle really was. In August of 2004, pretty much all of the talks of him being a draft pick came to a screeching halt after he suffered an ACL tear. He was ruled out for the season and was deemed as one of the bigger TBD’s in college basketball, but two months later, Villanova students crowded into their historic St.Mary’s gym to see Kyle take on future stock traders and civil engineers. He wasn’t cleared by the University’s medical staff so this was his way of getting his competitive fix. About three months later during the first half against their Big 5 foe, Penn University, he would check into his first game as a Wildcat in front of a sold-out crowd at the Pavillion.
Photo: USA Today
Throughout his NBA career, he was often misunderstood in his competitive ways and found himself on several rosters before finding a home in Toronto. Once both sides were comfortable with what the relationship entailed, a new critique surfaced, but it was strictly of his alter ego, Playoff Kyle. This was a man who was everything but reliable in the time of year that mattered most, only staying consistent in poor shooting percentages, turnovers and plays that go under appreciated like charges drawn coming up with 50/50 balls. You mix that with “Demar De-Frozen” another Bruce Banner-like character that only seems to show up when the clock strikes 12 on whatever night in April the NBA Playoffs start and ultimately you got a very upset, very fed up basketball scene in Toronto. When they weighed the options after the 2018 season, Demar DeRozan was the reliable piece and in that trade, Kyle lost a man that he had come to call a brother.
Today, Playoff Kyle is no more, and after a lot of fighting through nagging injuries, a slightly tweaked role and a ton of criticism of his late-game decision in Game 5, he’s a Champion. Only 4 rebounds short of a triple-double in Game 6, Mr.North Philly has finally captured his NBA ring. Bottom Line, Jay Bilas had it right. Kyle is a fighter but when he said “he’ll fight for ya” no one could’ve predicted that the “ya” would engulf the city of Toronto, a former chipless town, Villanova, a place where he practices at 5am daily in the offseason, about 50 yards away from the locker room named after him but most of all, Philly, a town that should be proud to call him an ambassador. Cheers, to Kyle “K.Low” Lowry, a man who once again has shown that it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog…or Raptor.
Photo: Yahoo! Sports
Cheers, to Kyle “K.Low” ago whose shown once again, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog…or Raptor, but you get what I’m saying.
Featured Image: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
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