Kyle Lowry’s No. 7 Retirement Gives Toronto Three Nights to Celebrate the GROAT
The Raptors will build a three-game January celebration around Lowry before raising No. 7 to the Scotiabank Arena rafters.
Photo via NBA.com
The Toronto Raptors will retire Kyle Lowry’s No. 7 on Sunday, January 10, 2027, after their home game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Before the jersey reaches the Scotiabank Arena rafters, Toronto will celebrate Lowry across three home games.
The team calls the series “GROAT Nights,” using its official “Greatest Raptor of All Time” branding for Lowry. The celebration begins January 7 and ends with the jersey retirement ceremony on January 10.
The Three-Game Celebration Starts January 7
Photo via @raptors / Instagram
The celebration begins Thursday, January 7, when Toronto hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7:30 p.m. ET. Fans will receive a collectible Lowry T-shirt, while the Raptors also plan special programming and surprises throughout the night.
Then, Toronto hosts the Utah Jazz on Friday, January 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The team will give fans a limited-edition Kyle Lowry bobblehead and continue the GROAT-themed programming.
Finally, the Raptors will retire Lowry’s No. 7 on Sunday, January 10 after their game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The game tips off at 6 p.m. ET at Scotiabank Arena.
Lowry, his family, former teammates and members of the organization will take part in the post-game ceremony. However, the Raptors have not announced a separate start time for the jersey raising
Lowry Will Be the Second Raptor in the Rafters
Lowry will become the second player in franchise history to have his number retired. Vince Carter became the first when the Raptors raised No. 15 on November 2, 2024.
Lowry spent nine seasons with Toronto. Seven ended with playoff appearances, including two trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, and he helped lead the Raptors to their first NBA championship in 2019.
He was selected to six consecutive NBA All-Star Games from 2015 through 2020, all while playing for Toronto. The Raptors’ August 27 announcement also lists Lowry as the franchise’s all-time leader in assists, steals and three-point field goals made.
What Fans Should Know Before Buying Tickets
Photo: Daniel Ramos / TorontoToday
Each of the three dates has a different focus. January 7 features the collectible T-shirt, January 8 features the Lowry bobblehead, and January 10 is the only announced jersey-raising ceremony.
Fans who specifically want to see No. 7 raised should make sure they are buying tickets for the January 10 game against Philadelphia. The Raptors’ announcement names the two giveaways but does not publish detailed distribution rules, door times or a separate start time for the post-game ceremony. Those details should be checked on the Raptors’ official event and schedule pages closer to January.
For Toronto, the three-game format turns the jersey retirement into a short homecoming, with two lead-in nights before Lowry’s No. 7 joins Vince Carter’s No. 15 in the Scotiabank Arena rafters.
Will you be at one of the three GROAT Nights? Let us know in the comments.
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