Masai Ujiri’s talk with Lowry was the turning point in their relationship
TORONTO — Masai Ujiri pinpoints a particular conversation as the turning point in his relationship with Kyle Lowry this season.
When the Toronto Raptors president shipped franchise icon and Lowry’s good friend DeMar DeRozan to San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard last summer, perhaps nobody was more hurt by the stunning move than Lowry.
But the two who’ve butted heads over the years had a heart-to-heart before February’s NBA trade deadline. And it made all the difference.
“We have had our ups and downs, but I think this year there was a really good moment where we sat down and we really talked about what we wanted to accomplish,” Ujiri said on the eve of the Raptors’ NBA Finals debut. “And it’s a tough conversation but these are conversations that you have to have.