Jared McCain gives Kyle Lowry his flowers ahead of NBA retirement

Jul 06, 2026 - 02:30

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Jared McCain gives Kyle Lowry his flowers ahead of NBA retirement

Helping Jared McCain learn the ropes in his first year in the NBA, Kyle Lowry has spent the last handful of years giving back to the future of the league. As his basketball skills have aged out, he's embraced a mentor role. Now, the 40-year-old is ready to hang up the sneakers for good.

Lowry will reportedly sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Toronto Raptors to call it quits. Of course, the one-time NBA champion enjoyed his best years there. He broke out as a six-time All-Star in his nine seasons there. He headlined their best era of basketball as a constant playoff team that eventually captured a Larry O'Brien trophy in 2019.

Funnily enough, Lowry's retirement happens just a few days after the Raptors reunited with Kawhi Leonard. The LA Clippers sent the 35-year-old back there in one of this summer's several blockbuster deals. The All-NBA talent is still viewed as one of the best in the league. He just averaged a career-best 27.9 points last season.

Going from a career journeyman to an All-Star to a franchise icon, Lowry has had perhaps one of the most complete basketball career arcs ever. He went through every point an NBA player hopes to go through in a fruitful career. The final stop? Being a mentor. He was that for McCain — who spent his first 1.5 seasons on the Philadelphia 76ers.

The social media star took to Snapchat to show Lowry love for his retirement. McCain had a sizzling start to his NBA career — flirting with being a Rookie of the Year surprise winner. Alas, a torn meniscus ended his rookie year in Dec. 2024. And then a torn thumb ligament derailed the start of his sophomore year before he was buried on the depth chart.

Eventually, the Oklahoma City Thunder acquired McCain in a buy-low move that paid dividends three months later. He helped them push the San Antonio Spurs to a full seven games in the 2026 Western Conference Finals despite being down Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell for the latter half of that epic series.

Always cool to see a peak of the dynamics in an NBA locker room. Even though they were briefly teammates, Lowry's influence on McCain is evident in his farewell wishes. Pretty cool when a veteran keeps his head up as he goes through the twilight stage of their basketball journey. Now, he's passed it on to the next generation.