Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry has been out of action for nine games now dealing with what has been described as a personal matter.
To date, neither Lowry nor the franchise have expounded on what precisely is keeping him out.
This week, following the Heat’s loss to the Toronto Raptors, head coach Erik Spoelstra opened up about his guard’s absence.
“He’s part of our family,” Spoelstra said.
“I just want to be there for him. The basketball stuff, we can work all that out.”
In a recent conversation with Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, Jimmy Butler offered a similar sentiment on Lowry’s absence.
“I think it’s always really important to realize basketball is second, third,” Butler said. “It’s not around that area on people’s list of importance. You’ve always got to make sure the family is good, yourself is good.
“And it just feels good to know that we’ve got guys that could step in and do what Kyle does for us. But I miss him. We all miss him. We want him and his family to be OK.”
Miami has gone 5-4 with Lowry out, so clearly his return would be much-welcomed from both a basketball and leadership standpoint.
So far this year Lowry is putting up 13.4 points, 8.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. His contribution to the Heat extends beyond just stats, though. He is a proven veteran, champion and just overall good guy.
The video speaks for itself. https://t.co/lRniycVCSO
— Game 7 (@game7__) February 2, 2022
Lowry is probably the only player in the world who could call Kawhi Leonard selfish and it still doesn’t come off insulting. He’s that loved.
By all accounts, Lowry’s return is imminent. And frankly, based on how the Heat have played without him – it can’t come soon enough.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
