'Brothers' DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry set record straight on non-communicative start as teammates

Before becoming "brothers" with the Toronto Raptors, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry weren't close during their first season as teammates. The duo finally turned a corner following a big move by general manager Masai Ujiri during the 2013-14 NBA season.

On Open Gym via the Raptors' YouTube channel, DeRozan and Lowry had a sit-down to talk about their time together in Toronto. One of the topics they discussed was the moment they became close friends and eventually "brothers."

The turning point was Rudy Gay getting traded to the Sacramento Kings after the Raptors' 6-12 start. It allowed DeRozan to be the new No. 1 scoring option, while Lowry stepped in to become the team's leader.

"We traded Rudy Gay and we got that plane and we sat there at the table and we was like, 'Yo, we about to get up out of here. We going to do something different,'" Lowry said. "And basically, he said it to me, and I said it to him at the same time, like, 'What we want to do?'"

DeRozan added:

"That was a critical moment in so many ways because the trade happened, we was in LA. But we had to finish out a West Coast road trip and that trip kind of like brought us together close because it was sense of urgency, and desperation kind of kicked in. ... That time on the road where we kind of just bought into feeling like, 'This is your last shot.'"

(From 4:20 onward)

DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry were teammates for six seasons, leading the Toronto Raptors to the playoffs from 2014 to 2018. They failed to get over the hump, with the Raptors trading DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard.

It paid dividends for Toronto, as Leonard led them to the 2019 NBA championship. Lowry would later get traded to the Miami Heat but now plays for the Philadephia 76ers. DeRozan, meanwhile, had a stint with the Chicago Bulls and is now with the Sacramento Kings.

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DeMar DeRozan plans to retire as a Toronto Raptor

DeMar DeRozan plans to retire as a Toronto Raptor. (Photo: IMAGN)

Despite getting traded by the Toronto Raptors in 2018, DeMar DeRozan still has a lot of love for the city and its fans. DeRozan revealed on Open Gym that he plans to retire as a Raptor, signing a one-day contract to be with the team that drafted him.

"It's the only place I would want to go out as well, doing the whole one-day (contract) thing," DeRozan said. "I think I've said it before, I will never have an emotional connection in no other place like I had in Toronto."

It will be interesting to see if Drake would be present when DeRozan retires with the Raptors. The rapper isn't fond of his former buddy, who supported Kendrick Lamar during their beef last year.