Kyle Lowry is averaging a career-high 18.8 points a night, and continues to endear himself to fans with his heart and hustle.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Masai Ujiri was talking to Kyle Lowry earlier this week about his point guard's training plans for this summer.
Halfway through the Toronto Raptors' finest season, and on the cusp of playing in his first NBA all-star game, Lowry wanted to talk about his desire to get better.
"That tells you more about him," said Ujiri, the Raptors president and general manager. "He's not relaxing. He wants to win, and he wants to try and win big. That's what he wants, and he's not just any player but your point guard, your lead player."
The 29-year-old Lowry has taken a longer, bumpier route to this weekend's all-star game in New York than the NBA superstars he'll be dishing out assists to. There were stops in Memphis and Houston, and by the time he arrived in Toronto he'd been painted with the reputation of being a tough guy to coach.
Toronto has brought out the best in Lowry. He's averaging a career-high 18.8 points a night, and continues to endear himself to fans with his heart and hustle. He is the team leader in taking charges, a lunging and diving example of a putting one's body on the line.