The Toronto Raptors are one day away from the first NBA Finals game in franchise history. It’s the culmination of a years-long process to get to this point, and while getting to the Finals is quite the accomplishment, the goal that Masai Ujiri ultimately had was to bring a title to Toronto.
This required making some tough decisions, most notably trading DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard this past offseason. It was a controversial move at the time due to DeRozan’s dedication to the franchise and the city, but in terms of the results on the court, it is one that paid off for Toronto. Still, despite the rough breakup, DeRozan still has plenty of love for his former squad.
DeRozan’s longtime running mate, Kyle Lowry, spoke to Marc Spears of The Undefeated about finally getting over the hump, and at one point was asked about the current San Antonio Spur. According to Lowry, DeRozan was excited to see his former team thrive.
“I’ve been speaking to him the whole way,” Lowry said. “One thing about him is that he legit cares about me as his best friend. He has texted everyone he has a relationship with and let them know how happy he is for us.”
It’s a classy move by DeRozan, who played an important role in raising the floor for a franchise that has come a long way in recent years. This was echoed on Wednesday during media day by the man who traded him, as Ujiri praised both DeRozan and former coach Dwane Casey.
Ujiri cont: "Give Dwane Casey credit, he prepared us for this, too. This does not happen in one year…Dwane Casey and DeMar DeRozan are part of this. They are part of our journey."
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) May 29, 2019
While the pair won’t get championship rings if the Raptors can beat the Golden State Warriors, it’s certainly safe to say Toronto wouldn’t be in this position if not for those two.
