Reiseplan » ore finding his way to Regina in September. Its a ch

TORONTO - As Kyle Lowry walked off the podium, on a day in which he cleaned out his locker following a heartbreaking end to his career season, he looked back at the throng of media that had just finished grilling him on his future. "Goodbye, everybody," he shouted. What he really meant was, see you later. With the wounds of a Game 7 loss beginning to heal and the dust settling on the season that was, the attention immediately shifted to Lowry, an impending free agent, and whether or not hell be back in a Raptors uniform next fall. Although the star point guard is prohibited from putting pen to paper until the NBAs moratorium period concludes after the first week of July, there is a resounding belief within Torontos locker room that he is planning on sticking around. It was written on the face of his teammate and good friend DeMar DeRozan as the all-star guard deflected question after question regarding Lowrys future with the subtlety of a hand grenade. Will it be difficult to watch Lowry go through the free agency process? "No, no, no," he said Monday afternoon, accompanied by a big smirk. Why not? "Because," he replied, as reporters began to snicker. "No" How would you feel if, for whatever reason, he wasnt back? "Im not worried about that," DeRozan insisted. Do you know something we dont? "I didnt say that. I didnt say he was, I didnt say he wasnt. I just said Im not worried about it." The 24-year-old spends the bulk of his summers working out in Las Vegas. If that was his poker face, its a good thing he rarely strays from the gym. "Why would he leave?" DeRozan asked in the rhetoric a day earlier. A fair question and one Lowry could not find an answer for when pressed shortly after Torontos one-point loss and first-round elimination to the Brooklyn Nets. "Of course I can see myself back," said the Raptors point guard. "We just went to Game 7, first round. Nobody expected us to be there. Of course I can see that." Coming off a breakout campaign in which he averaged career-highs of 17.9 points and 7.4 assists, the 28-year-old will take his time and weigh his options before making a decision, that much he made clear. "At the end of the day, its still a business and you have to be a businessman for the situation that youre in," he said, "but I am very happy. This has been one of the best seasons Ive had, through and through. Best coaches, teammates, [front office]. Its been great. I am happy. Without a doubt, I can say Im happy." While money and the terms of his next deal should play a big part in the negotiation process that will take place in roughly two months, its hard to put a price on happiness. Thats something that any other suitor may have difficulty matching. Finally, in his eighth NBA season, Lowry started to scratch the surface of what many believed had been there all along. Only, it very nearly played out at Torontos expense. "We knew if we lost [after the Rudy Gay trade] it was going to get blown up," Lowry wisely pointed out. "Thats just the fact that, once we made the trade, if we would have lost a little more, I probably wouldnt be sitting here today, just being honest." As it turned out, the Raptors were his perfect storm. For the first time, he was entrusted to lead a team without looking over his shoulder or pretending to be something hes not. He came to training camp with a rejuvenated approach, in the best shape of his playing career. "The most important difference Ive seen in Kyle is his ability to lose weight," said Patrick Patterson - a teammate of Lowrys in Houston - with a straight face, if you can believe it. "When he was in Houston, he was on the heavy side." He and DeRozan formed the leagues second-highest scoring backcourt, only behind the Golden State Warriors "Splash Brothers" of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. "Why wouldnt you want to be on a team with a guy like that?" he said of DeRozan. Most of all, hes grown up. A year ago he stood in the Raptors practice gym, head down, embarrassed after a lost season and promised to be back, better than ever. "[Im] very disappointed for myself because I know Im a much better player than what Ive shown this year," he had said on Apr. 15, 2013. This version of Lowry, sitting at the front end of the ACC media centre, couldnt have been more dissimilar. Hes channeled the very things that used to work to his detriment - his hardheaded, stubborn nature - to become an indispensable player. As a result, he has a greater understanding and appreciation for whats important to him at this stage of his career. First and foremost, his priority is to win. "I want to be happy," Lowry repeated, identifying overall team situation as the primary factor in making his decision. "I want to win, but its something that me and my agent, we have yet to talk about. But I know I want to win, and thats important to me." How does Toronto stack up? "I love this place," he exclaimed. "I love the situation. Its simple as that." No, Lowrys not going anywhere. The Raptors give Lowry his best opportunity to win and Lowry does the same for the Raptors. They need each other. "Kyles like my biggest brother," said sophomore Terrence Ross. "I look up to him, ask for advice on a lot of different things, on and off the court. Hes hands down the best point guard Ive ever played with. Hes taught me a lot. He motivates everybody. I really hope he comes back. I even talk to him all of the time, saying You got to come back, youre basically the heart of the team, we need you to come back." Lowrys response to Ross frequent sales pitches; "He always played it off like weve got to worry about something else right now." Now, Lowry tops the teams offseason agenda. Hes their highest priority and it wont take long after the clock strikes 12:01 AM on July 1 for Masai Ujiri and agent Andy Miller to sit down and finalize an agreement to keep the star point guard in Toronto long term. "We wouldnt have been here if it wasnt for Kyle," DeRozan said. "Kyle is an elite player," added Patterson, "and as far as him staying here, Im sure a lot of people in Toronto would love that. It all depends on him. But definitely if Toronto wants to get better in the future, have someone to build around and be the key, the glue for the basketball team, what better person to start with than Kyle?" Dwyane Wade Jersey . The 34-year-old averaged 10.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 82 games played in 2013-14 with the Utah Jazz. Jefferson has averaged 14.5 points, 4. Hassan Whiteside Jersey .K. Subban has picked the right time of the year to go on an offensive tear. http://www.authenticbasketballshopheat.i...yo-heat-jersey/. - David Tomasek had two goals in regulation time and was the lone scorer in the shootout as the Belleville Bulls upset the Oshawa Generals 6-5 on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. Udonis Haslem Jersey . Louis Blues, having added Ryan Miller and Steve Ott from Buffalo, remain the No. Justise Winslow Jersey . The club announced Friday that Mauro Biello will be kept on as an assistant to coach Jesse Marsch when the Impact join the MLS in 2012.For at least three participants in the 101st Grey Cup game, a dream will be realized -- back to back championships. It doesnt matter which team wins. At least three members of last years Toronto Argonauts will become repeat winners. If the hometown Riders prevail, Ricky Foley, Tristan Black and Ejiro Kuale will win another ring. If the visiting Ticats break the hearts of an entire province, Evan McCullough, Brandon Isaac, Joel Reinders, and defensive coordinator Orlondo Steinauer will once again be champions. For Isaac and Kuale, its a particularly sweet opportunity. Isaac was released by the Argos early in the season and quickly signed in Hamilton, while Kuale, who signed with Montreal in the off-season, was let go by the Alouettes before finding his way to Regina in September. Its a chance for both players to end a frustrating season on an incredible high. "Ive thought about it a little bit," Kuale told TSN.ca "Ive talked about it with Ricky and Tristan and its pretty exciting to be in this position again." The fourth-year linebacker/rush end sees an incredible similarity between Torontos run last year to the path the Riders find themselves on right now. "I was talking about it with Foley," said the LSU product. "We had the home playoff game like in Toronto, we had to travel to the East Final, this year we had to travel to the West Final, now weve got the home Grey Cup. The mood feels the same." Isaac also relishes the opportunity to go back to back, and had a great experience at this weeks East Breakfast when he got to revisit an old friend. "I went and looked at the Grey Cup and saw my name on it," said the linebacker. "I told the guys they have the opportunity to put their names on it as well." It would be an incredible way to end a season that started out with his stunning release. "Coming into the season, I prepared myself," said the South Carolina product. "I was named captain, took that to heart, thought it was a big step in my life. It was taken away from me. I was down, frustrated, shocked, upset at myself and upset with others." "Then I got an opportunity to come over here," Isaac continued. "I kept on battling and battling and now Im here at the Grey Cup with the team that gave me the opportunity to play football." Evan McCullough brought versatility to the Ticats when he arrived from the Double Blue, but he didnt bring his Grey Cup ring to Regina.dddddddddddd Thats safely tucked away back at his home in the United States. The starting defensive halfback told TSN.ca that he hasnt thought about the rare opportunity to win consecutive championships. "I havent because it really hasnt hit me yet," said McCullough "To be a part of the 100th Grey Cup champions and then get a chance to go back for the 101st is awesome, its amazing. A lot of people dont get to experience that, and I get a chance to do that at a young time in my career." Ricky Foley experienced the absolute high last year of winning a championship, doing it for his hometown team in his home stadium, and also playing well enough to be named the games Outstanding Canadian. Since the time he put pen to paper with Saskatchewan, hes thought about the opportunity to accomplish what may occur on Sunday. "I thought about it when I came here," said the native of Courtice, Ontario. "At the same time you dont want to be focused on back-to-back, you want to be focused on executing and playing a good game." Foley left an area of the country where the CFL struggles to gain attention at times, to play in the heartland of the league. He has trouble visualizing what it will be like to run through the tunnel Sunday in front of Rider Nation. "I cant even imagine it," Foley told TSN.ca "Last year was pretty special and its hard to compare to that because I had so much family and friends in the crowd, it was unbelievable. But this is the Mecca of football in Canada. I dont know what to expect, but Im just going to enjoy it." Kuale shares Foleys fondness for the Rider faithful. "I get goosebumps every time I walk out on the field with the team or Im on the sidelines," said a smiling Kuale. "It feels like when I was back at LSU. I felt we had the best fans in the world and thats the way I feel about the Rider fans." Its rare that home teams win a Grey Cup game. Its even more unusual to have a player be on teams that win in consecutive years on their home field. Quarterback Jarious Jackson accomplished the rare feat last year, after winning a ring in 2011 with the BC Lions. Before that, members of the 1946-47 Argos were the last players to win back-to-back championships in front of home fans. The three Riders are hoping they can join that exclusive club. Their former teammates on the Ticats would prefer the feat remains a rarity. 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