There were high-ranking members of the organization who maintained that Kyle Lowry should be the first to receive the honour, having spent nearly a decade with the club, been the face of its most successful era, and led it to a championship.
However, Lowry is about to begin his 19th NBA season; he’s in the back nine of his career, but his retirement is at least a few years off. With Carter’s Hall of Fame induction coinciding with the Raptors’ 30th season, the timing felt right and there was a strong push made on his behalf. It gained steam in May when the Nets announced that they would be retiring Carter’s jersey.
Once the decision was made, the Raptors wanted to find a date early in the season, which would give them a monumental event to help kick off their anniversary celebrations, while also allowing them to beat Brooklyn to the punch. The Oct. 25 game against Lowry’s 76ers was considered.
The Nov. 2 date checked off a few boxes. It’s a Saturday night contest just two weeks and seven games into the season. The opponent, Sacramento, is one of Carter’s former teams and won’t draw too much attention away from the festivities (Toronto hosts James and the Lakers the night before).
It also means that DeMar DeRozan – who signed with the Kings over the summer and will one day have his No. 10 immortalized next to Carter’s No. 15 and Lowry’s No. 7 – will be in attendance for the ceremony.
