The Toronto Raptors have shown nothing but gratitude to Kyle Lowry, allowing him to sign a one-day contract in July and retire in the city where it all began. The franchise then announced that Lowry would join Vince Carter as the only other player to have his jersey raised into the rafters. Mayor Olivia Chow also presented him with the Key to the City, Toronto’s highest civic honor. But now, when the Raptors attached the ‘greatest’ tag to his name, it appears to have offended many.
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During a massive block party at Maple Leaf Square, Toronto unveiled a new statue, but it was anything but conventional. Rather than a traditional bronze, life-size statue of Lowry, the Raptors unveiled a stylized gold version of the team’s Velociraptor mascot, wearing his No. 7 jersey and posed in a basketball action stance. Although the unusual design drew attention, the phrase beneath the sculpture truly set social media on edge.
The phrase “The Greatest Raptor of All Time” left little room for interpretation. A portion of the fanbase wondered how Lowry could replace a player who had become synonymous with the Raptors. Vince Carter’s name kept coming up, and for good reason.
Carter’s best years arguably came with the Raptors. His iconic, high-flying dunks put Toronto on the NBA map in 2000. Carter also won Rookie of the Year honors after averaging 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Although the Raptors built a solid supporting cast around him with Alvin Williams, Morris Peterson, and Antonio Davis, most of the pressure remained on Carter.
He did not disappoint. The 2000-01 season will always be remembered as Toronto’s first real deep playoff run. Carter led them to the Eastern Conference semifinals, but Allen Iverson’s 76ers were too strong to beat. He eventually left on a sour note, with a broken relationship with the front office, but decades later, the Raptors proved they didn’t forget his early impact by retiring his jersey in 2024.
Now, they want to do the same for Lowry, with his No. 7 jersey set to be raised into the rafters at Scotiabank Arena on January 10, 2027. While fans didn’t have a problem with that, they took offense at Lowry receiving the ‘greatest’ tag, even though Carter acknowledged him as an all-time great six years ago…
Raptors fans make their case for Vince Carter
In 2020, Kyle Lowry couldn’t stop breaking records, and when he became the franchise’s all-time leader in assists, Vince Carter couldn’t stop praising him.
“[Lowry’s] accomplished a lot. He’s been through the ups and downs, and he’s been to the mountaintop, so that propels him right there,” Carter told the media. “It’s well deserved. He loves to play. He’s a competitor, obviously. I’m just glad I was able to see it.”
But Carter’s 2024 Hall of Fame induction has ended up fueling the argument, with fans questioning why Kyle Lowry should carry the golden label over the No. 15.
One fan’s reaction captured the mood bluntly: “No lie… this some bulls**t.”
Another one had an even simpler response: “The greatest Raptor of all time is VINCE CARTER!!!!”
It reflects how strongly Carter’s early-2000s peak resonates with Raptors supporters. Over 403 games, he made five All-Star teams, averaging 23.4 points on 44.6 percent shooting, plus 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.
One fan took the argument even further. They sarcastically questioned whether the franchise has forgotten Vince Carter altogether.
“Did Vince Carter not ever exist am I living in a Mandela effect?? I remember a man named VINCE CARTER who went to Unc and was a high flyer that was sensational for the raptors his entire career.. they just put him in the Hall of fame… wow I must have dreamt that.”
The criticism was not limited to Vince Carter, either. DeMar DeRozan was also brought into the discussion, with one fan arguing, “Bro ain’t did half of what VC did or derozan.” Another netizen wrote, “Wdf?😂😂😂 kawhi Vince,tmac???”
That reaction points to a broader disagreement over what should define Toronto’s greatest player: championship success, longevity, individual dominance or cultural impact…
Kyle Lowry obviously has a major case of his own. He became a central figure in the franchise’s 2019 championship run and established himself as a defining player in Raptors history. In Game 6, Lowry played a key role and dropped 11 points in just the opening two minutes of the contest. That gave Toronto an early lead against the Warriors, and they never let go, beating Golden State in six.
He was named an All-Star for five straight years from 2015-20 and also led the team to the playoffs for seven straight years.
Over time, instead of ‘GOAT,’ fans began calling him the ‘GROAT,’ standing for the Greatest Raptor of All Time. Lowry had no problem with that added letter and called it “pretty cool” in 2024.
Two years later, when Lowry decided to retire, Carter famously intercepted his farewell interview and called him, saying, “You are the GOAT. You are the man. I’m happy for you.” It shows that despite fan disagreement, there’s deep admiration and respect between the two former NBA stars.
The Raptors may have settled on their ‘GROAT,’ but their fans clearly have not.