Kyle Lowry assesses time with Sixers, praises Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey
PHILADELPHIA — 18-year veteran Kyle Lowry made his way back to Philadelphia to play for his hometown 76ers in the 2023-24 season. He began the year with the Miami Heat before being traded to the Charlotte Hornets and was then waived which cleared the way to sign with the Sixers.
In 23 games with the Sixers, including 20 starts, he averaged 8.0 points and 4.6 assists while shooting 40.4% from deep. He also did a lot of things not shown in the box score to help the team grow.
After the Round 1 elimination to the New York Knicks, Lowry assessed his short time with the Sixers. He singled out a few players that he saw grow during the second half of the season.
“We got better,” Lowry said. “I think the guys in this locker room, they competed at a high level. The things Joel (Embiid) showed us in this series playing on one leg. Tyrese’s (Maxey) growth. Kelly’s (Oubre Jr.) toughness, I think the team just showed the competitive nature. It was fun. After 18 years, you’d think it gets easier, but it just sucks even more when you lose. Especially, with a great group of guys like this. It was fun to be a part of.”
The growth of both Embiid and Maxey is why Lowry wanted to come to Philadelphia. It was prideful for him to see the young stars continue to grow. Even though the Sixers came up short to the Knicks, both Embiid and Maxey showed a lot of growth on their respective paths to stardom.
“It was part of the reason I came here to be able to be a part of the growth of Tyrese and the growth of Joel and watching them and try to help them as much as I can with the maturation process,” Lowry added. “The things that these guys have done. Joel playing on one leg. Tyrese—in the minute of the game going crazy a couple minutes and going through ups and downs and finding ways to be successful. As a guy who’s been in the league a long time, I was so happy I got the opportunity to play with these guys and be around them.”
As far as Lowry’s future, there is a thought process that he would be perfect to return to help Embiid and Maxey continue to grow. On the other hand, he is a free agent and one will wonder where he will go in the process.
“We just lost so I’m not even thinking about anything, but figuring out how to get some sleep tonight because I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep with the way we lost the game,” Lowry added. “I had a great opportunity to be a part of two superstars in this league and for me, it was a joy to be around them. We’ll see what happens in the next couple months.”
