The Toronto Raptors turned a celebration for Kyle Lowry into a fresh debate over the franchise’s greatest player. During a massive block party at Maple Leaf Square, the Raptors unveiled a new tribute to Lowry following his official retirement as a Raptor this past July.
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The celebration will also lead into another major honor. The team has planned to retire Lowry’s No.7 jersey at Scotiabank Arena on January 10, 2027.
The franchise erected a statue. It was anything but conventional.
Rather than a traditional bronze lifesize of Lowry, the Raptors unveiled a stylized gold version of the team’s Velociraptor mascot wearing his No.7 jersey in a basketball action. The unusual design quickly became a talking point. But the phrase beneath the sculpture truly set social media on edge.
The phrase – Greatest Raptor of All Time, left little room for interpretation. For a section of the fanbase, however, the label raised a much bigger question.
How could Kyle Lowry replace the players who became synonymous with the Raptors?
Raptors fans make their case for Vince Carter
The backlash focused overwhelmingly on Vince Carter, whose tenure in Toronto remains deeply connected to the franchise’s rise in popularity. Carter’s Hall of Fame induction only added fuel to the argument, with fans questioning why Kyle Lowry should carry the “Greatest Raptor” label over the former No. 15.
One reaction captured the mood bluntly: “No lie… this some bulls**t.”
Another fan had an even simpler response: “The greatest Raptor of all time is VINCE CARTER!!!!” The argument reflects how strongly Carter’s early-2000s peak resonates with Raptors supporters.
His high-flying style and stardom helped make Toronto a major basketball attraction, giving him a cultural impact that fans believe should count heavily in any franchise debate.
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”
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. He established himself as one of the defining players in Raptors history.
But the statue’s plaque has turned that legacy celebration into a much larger argument.
And, naturally, social media even found a joke in the sculpture itself. “Easier to replace the plaque with his name just in case he does something crazy later in life lol,” one fan wrote.
The Raptors may have settled on their GROAT. Their fans clearly have not.