Perhaps the best relationship in all of basketball is the inseparable friendship between the Toronto Raptors’ backcourt. Both DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry can be classified as veterans but it’s fair to say, neither would be here without the other.
The two have blossomed together into one of the league’s most terrifying guard tandems in just five short years. While their partnership hasn’t resulted in much playoff success, it has formed one of the closest bonds in the NBA.
But before all this, DeMar DeRozan told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that he and Lowry didn’t even communicate during their first year together in Toronto (h/t Canadian Press):
“I don’t think I’ve ever said this publicly but he will tell you. My first year with Kyle, me and Kyle didn’t say a word to one another, we didn’t speak, we didn’t have a conversation, we didn’t hang out, we didn’t go eat, we didn’t sit next to each another. Nothing. I didn’t have his phone number. Nothing.”
These circumstances are a far cry from the close-knit relationship that DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry share now. The duo has gone through multiple playoffs series together, numerous regular seasons together, and even the Olympics together. Now with the two All-Stars playing at arguably their highest level to date, the Raptors are in the thick of the race for the Eastern Conference crown.
DeRozan especially has continued to add pieces to his arsenal as he develops into a quality all-around player as opposed to simply being a volume shooter and scorer. The two will look to quell their troublesome playoff struggles this postseason.
