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TORONTO - When Kyle Lowry was first introduced to the city of Toronto back in the summer of 2012 he was forced to share the stage with a new teammate, Landry Fields, the two acquired by the Raptors three days apart. Lowry, Torontos fallback option after a failed attempt to woo Steve Nash, was brought in from Houston to battle incumbent point guard Jose Calderon for the starting gig. Then general manager Bryan Colangelo had high hopes for Lowry but at that moment, a consolidated news conference in the concourse of the Air Canada Centre, he was just another player. He was due to earn $5.8 million that season. For Lowry those days are long gone. Thursday morning represented the Raptors first opportunity to make sure he knew that. With the official announcement of Patrick Patterson and Greivis Vasquezs extensions on hold, likely until early next week, this day was all about Lowry. It was his moment, well deserved, not unlike his freshly signed contract and significant pay raise. "This is awesome," Lowry said, borrowing the phrase from GM Masai Ujiri, who had used it moments earlier. Ujiri and his star point guard sat side by side on stage in Real Sports Bar and Grill, located across from the ACC in the heart of downtown Toronto. This was not your run-of-the-mill press conference. It was an event. The Raptors had opened up the festivities to their fans, who played hooky from school and work on a Thursday morning to support a player they have adopted as their own. They screamed, they chanted, they took photos and Lowry - an introvert, who doesnt generally hand out smiles - couldnt wipe the smirk off his face. Retaining Lowry had been the Raptors top priority from the moment last seasons playoff run came to an abrupt end. They spared no expense in showing the 28-year-old how much he means to the embattled franchise and they wasted no time in getting him locked up. Lowry agreed to terms on a four-year, $48 million deal last Wednesday, officially putting pen to paper Thursday morning when the free agent moratorium period was lifted. Lowry was courted by a number of teams - including title contenders in the Houston Rockets and Miami Heat - when free agency unofficially opened on July 1. "They were real factors," Lowry admitted. Returning to Toronto, however likely, was not a lock. Along with his family and agent, Andy Miller, he considered his options, weighing pros and cons and doing his due diligence before coming to a quick decision. It didnt take long for him to realize where he wanted to spend the next three years, with a player option for the fourth. "I think the process was a difficult one but at the end of the day it was an easy one, it was the best one," Lowry said. "I didnt really think about it, honestly, until a week before free agency started. I knew it was going to be kind of stressful, but stressful in a good way. At the end of the day it was easy, it was easy to come back here." "I didnt want to wait for everybody else," he continued, taking a subtle shot at a few of his fellow free agents, who appear to be in no rush despite holding up the process for the rest of the league. "Im not going to wait for this guy to make a decision, I wanted to make my own decision and I wanted to make it when I was ready and I was ready after day one. So thats how easy the process was." Houston and Miami offered him a chance to compete for a championship right out of the gate but Toronto countered with their recently constructed winning environment, high aspirations, and an opportunity for incremental growth on the way to their ultimate prize. Most importantly, Lowry - an alpha dog by nature - wanted to lead a team to the promise land. Make no bones about it, the Raptors are Lowrys team. "The driving factor was winning," he said. "Honestly, I knew the money was going to come. I knew the years [were] going to come, so that wasnt too much of a worry. I just wanted to be in a situation where I can win and personally grow, as a man and as a player, and help a team and help an organization get to the point where theyre holding that trophy up." With the spotlight comes the pay cheque. "I was [financially secure] before," he joked in response to a question about his new pay raise. "[But] this helps." His new contract will be more than twice the size of his previous one, a four-year, $23.5 million deal signed in 2010, having earned a total of $28.8 million over the first eight years of his career. Lowrys one-time reputation for being a malcontent, like his anonymity, is a thing of the past. Of course, hes not the only one that stands to benefit, shedding a less than flattering league-wide perception as a result of this remarriage with the Raptors. "Everyone says Toronto cant do this, or Toronto cant sign back their own free agents," Lowry acknowledged, with a tip of the cap to the franchises disappointing history. "I just proved that wrong. Im back." Before the Raptors can establish themselves as a preferred destination for the NBAs brightest stars, they know they must take care of their own. Even in a years time - as the team has turned its fortunes and its fan base has reminded the league why theyre one of the best - Ujiri continues to notice a significant change in how the city is perceived when speaking to players around the association. "100 percent," said the Raptors GM. "I think people saw what happened here." "Players want to win and players want to be treated well and we try to treat players well," Ujiri continued. "I think Kyle Lowry was at the forefront of that. Players in the NBA see that and they want to come play where its a great atmosphere, theyre treated well and theres a culture of winning. We expect more players to come here." According to Ujiri, Lowry was ready and willing to do his part in the recruitment process almost immediately after agreeing to terms last week. Still technically a free agent, Lowry texted the Raptors GM shortly after the two reached a verbal agreement to ask him if there was a player he could call and try to steer in Torontos direction. "I wish I had more money to sign another player," Ujiri joked. While all-star and leading scorer DeMar DeRozan remains an integral part of the teams future - and played a significant role in Lowrys decision to return - the unmistakable face of the resurgent Raptors was sitting centre stage. The team is his and, evident in Thursdays mornings turnout, so too is the city. He wont be sharing the stage, or the spotlight any time soon. Two years ago, almost to the day, Colangelo gave Lowry the keys. Now, Ujiri has given him the whole car. "You dont get many chances to say its your team," he said. "Honestly, you dont get many chances. As a competitor, as a professional, I relish in that, the fact that I get to say its my team, Im the leader of the team." Custom Colorado Rockies Jerseys . The result was a game-winning, power-play goal. Chiasson snapped a third-period tie and lifted the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 victory on Monday night. Rockies Jerseys 2020 .com) - Blake Griffin led five Clippers in double figures with 24 points and the LA Clippers got back on track with a 101-97 win over the Utah Jazz. https://www.cheaprockiesjerseys.us/ . The Argentina striker has not played for the Premier League leaders since September when he refused to warm up during a Champions League match and only returned last week from a three-month unauthorized absence at home. City coach Roberto Mancini had initially told Tevez he would never play for City again after his act of public insubordination, but later softened his stance and only asked for an apology. Colorado Rockies Pro Shop .com) - The New York Islanders will try to solve their issues against Central Division opponents when they visit the Minnesota Wild for Tuesdays battle at Xcel Energy Center. Cheap Rockies Jerseys . You can watch the game on TSN at 7pm et/4pm pt and listen to the game on TSN Radio 690 in Montreal. After starting the month of November on an 0-3-1 slide, the Canadiens have recorded wins in three of their last five outings (3-1-1).TORONTO - The Toronto Blue Jays were swept in the Bronx last week and will try to return the favour Wednesday versus the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays lost all three games at Yankee Stadium from June 17-19, but have taken the first two installments of this set, including Tuesdays 7-6 win courtesy of a throwing error by Yankees third baseman Yangervis Solarte in the bottom of the ninth inning. Jose Reyes started the inning with a double and came around to score after Melky Cabrera placed a bunt toward Solarte, whose throw to first base was off the mark. Reyes made up for a throwing error that plated two runs during a five-run seventh inning for the Yankees. Brian Roberts hit a two-run homer in the seventh to help New York tie the game at 6-6. "I tried to make something happen after that mistake," said Reyes. "They tied the game there in that situation. I have to make a better throw than that. It is what it is. Like I said, when I came up in the ninth inning I just tried to make something happen." Dioner Navarro hit a three-run homer, Colby Rasmus drove in two runs and both Reyes and Edwin Encarnacion had two hits and two runs scored for the Blue Jays, who have won three of their last five games, and sit 2 1/2 games ahead of Baltimore and 3 1/2 games in front of New York for the AL East lead. Mark Buehrle started for the Jays and was looking for his 11th win, but did not figure into the decision after he allowed four runs in 6 2/3 innings. Casey Janssen threw a scoreless top of the ninth for the win. Toronto, which prevailed despite committing three errors, will also host the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers on this homestand and is 22-17 at Rogers Centre. Toeing the rubber for the Jays tonight will be Drew Hutchison, who is 5-5 with aa 3.dddddddddddd86 earned run average. Hutchison was shaky in his last outing, a 6-4 loss at Yankee Stadium in which he walked four batters and allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. Hutchison is 1-2 in his last three starts after going 3-0 in his previous four trips to the hill. The right-hander is 1-3 in five home starts and 1-2 with a 7.24 ERA in three career starts against the Yankees. The Yankees failed to finish off last nights rally and lost their fourth straight game in the process. Solartes error was a costly one and reliever Adam Warren was pinned with the loss. Derek Jeter homered, while Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner and Roberts all ended with two hits and a run scored. David Phelps started for the Yankees and was reached for six runs and eight hits in five innings. "That was an ugly game to watch, and if youre a fan, you should probably get your money back," said Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, who went 0-for-5 and had hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games. New York will return to the Bronx for an upcoming homestand versus Boston and Tampa Bay, and hopes to improve its 22-19 road mark Wednesday. Its been almost a month since Hiroki Kuroda won a start and he will take the mound Wednesday for the Yankees. Kurodas last win was May 28 at St. Louis and he is 0-2 in four starts since. He did not figure into the decision of a 5-3 win over Baltimore last Friday and gave up two runs in six innings. The righty carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Kuroda is 4-5 with a 4.23 ERA and 1-3 in seven road starts. He has faced the Blue Jays eight times (all starts) in his career and is 4-3 with a 3.81 ERA. Kuroda made five starts against Toronto last season, going 2-2 with a 3.34 ERA. The Yankees are 5-3 against the Blue Jays this season. ' ' '