Lowry rejects critics: "I am a champion"

"I think the problem is that when I play aggressive, we win, we play hard and we play better," Lowry told ESPN. "It was the most important thing to go out, be aggressive and not settle in. Do not let them go and know they were going out and be very aggressive and that the crowd would participate, and they would be hard to beat. in this building a night like this, the last night in Oracle.

"We knew it was going to be difficult, but for me to go out and be aggressive, it allowed us to set the tone."

It also showed that this match would not be like the others in the playoffs of Toronto, when Kawhi Leonard was going to have to do everything. That night, not only did Lowry have a huge game, but also Pascal Siakam (26 points, 10 rebounds) and Fred VanVleet (22 points).

That means Toronto could win a game in which Leonard, who became the first player to win a NBA Finals player by playing for a team at every conference, played well: 22 points, six rebounds, three assists, two interceptions and a blocking. 41 minutes – but was not at the same transcendent level as he was at many other points during those playoffs.

"This allowed Kawhi to rest a bit, without having to do everything," Lowry told ESPN. "Give him some respite to get them to not force Kawhi to get 60 points.

"It's at that time that we have always been at our best level, when Kawhi does not need to score 60 in advance.So, Kawhi can somehow solve the problem and we can recover it, and that's what happened in the second period. "

But while Leonard was not transcendent, he sealed the win by fighting for the lost ball that was bouncing off the ground after Curry missed a 3-pointer open in the final seconds. Leonard, along with several others, plunged to the ground after the ball, Golden State having finally been called for a technical foul for attempting to trigger a timeout that he had not had.

Leonard made the free kick that followed, then two more after another foul on the next inside play. After the match, he said that after being part of a team that failed to get a critical rebound in a similar situation – the San Antonio Spurs, in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA finals against the Miami Heat – and that it was not about that to happen again.

"I've been in such situations during a final that I lost by two or three points, and we lost that game because of rebounds," said Leonard. "I forgot who was shooting the ball.You know the story.These are the last two possessions of Miami.They have had two opportunities to shoot goals – well, four chances to basket over two possessions.

"And it was my fault because I was trying to get the rebound, and once he missed the ball, I tried to keep it going so that there was not much left I did not want to take it right away so that they could not defile me. "And Draymond ended up waiting with 0.9 seconds and called a break and kept moving on from there."

From there, things are going well for the Raptors off the court and in the locker room, where the celebration of the championship has taken off. As the team returned to the locker room to begin the celebration – the same walk that they had made after two wins here at Games 3 and 4 – everyone was smiling, with Serge Ibaka carrying Larry O & # 39; Brien Trophy with two hands and Leonard holding his trophy Bill Russell Finals MVP in one.

Masai Ujiri, president of the Raptors basketball operations, paced the arena with a Nigerian flag on his shoulders, while Siakam wore one of his native Cameroon.

"I think it meant a lot, just having guys from different countries and speaking different languages," Siakam said. "I think it has brought us closer and you have all these little friendships with guys with whom you speak the same language, and from Spanish to French to English, different cultures. it's like that represents Toronto in general, having this diversity. "

Meanwhile, in the locker room, the champagne was flying, among other alcoholic drinks. Raptors general manager Bobby Webster and player manager Curtis Crawford clashed over a beer, saying it was a draw. Ibaka and substitute forward Chris Boucher looked for people who were not yet in the champagne and said they would do it after that.

Outside the locker room, family members were waiting to enter or, in the case of children, team employees, simply waiting for their parents to join them. In the case of the son of the assistant coach Nate Bjorkren, as well as the two sons of Lowry, Karter and Kameron, that meant to make foolishness to a TV cameraman who, while waiting for his next mission, claimed to be filming them all. the three the lens.

Eventually, the Raptors' coach, Nick Nurse, came out of the locker room completely soaked, but his tie was still tied. The hat with his initials was replaced by an NBA champion hat.

After talking to the podium, Nurse was asked what it meant for him to fulfill the wish of his mother, Marcella, who died in December and who told her before her death that she "hoped that she would see me win a championship, but if she did not look anyway. "

"I'll tell you that it's really cool," said the nurse at ESPN. "I went home to find my mother just before her death, and I flew in. We played a game against the Clippers, I came into the locker room and I said to the team: "My mom would kick my ass if I was not there."

"And Kyle Lowry said:" We're going to win the championship for your mother. "I kind of said," Whoa. "

Then the nurse smiled.

"But here we are," he said.

The particularity of this Raptors championship is its speed. The nurse is a first year coach. Leonard, Danny Green and Marc Gasol, three of five starters from Toronto on Thursday night, have arrived this season. And yet, the Raptors managed to understand him quickly and win a title.

"Professionals," Lowry told ESPN. "You have looked at us, you have been around us, you see what we have, real professionals.

"Never settle in. Whatever I have to do, I do it for my team."

"I just come in with the right state of mind, let's go win some baseball games," said Leonard. "I texted Kyle probably a day later – or the day I was exchanged and told him," Let's go out and do something special. I know your best friend is gone. this thing works. And we are here today. "

Where are currently the Raptors is at the top of the world of basketball.

When Lowry reunited with his family and went to pose with the championship trophy, he was asked how he felt.

"It feels good," he said. "We are champions."