TORONTO - 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. [url=https://www.cheapncaajerseysjustwholesale.com/]NCAA Jerseys[/url] . Lo

TORONTO - 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. NCAA Jerseys . 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. 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. Authentic NCAA Jerseys . You can watch all the action on TSN and TSN GO beginning at 8:30pm et/5:30pm pt. Minnesota dropped the first two tests of this best-of-seven set at Chicagos United Center and was outscored by a combined 9-3 margin in those setbacks. However, the Wild righted themselves at home by taking Game 3 by a 4-0 count before knotting the series at two games apiece with Fridays 4-2 triumph at Xcel Energy Center. Wholesale College Jerseys . The Earthquakes (6-9-7) were coming off a 5-0 loss at home last Saturday to FC Dallas. Even with the draw, the Sounders (13-7-3) climbed back into a tie for both the Western Conference and overall top spot in MLS. Seattle, West co-leader Real Salt Lake and East leader Sporting Kansas City all have 42 points. https://www.cheapncaajerseysjustwholesale.com/ . So far, so good: Gonzalez has allowed one run through 12 innings this season. His second start came Tuesday night, when he gave up only three singles over six innings to lead the Nationals to a 5-0 victory over the Miami Marlins.SAN FRANCISCO - Those oversized panda heads are being put away — at least the ones seen in the first row at AT&T Park. Pablo Sandovals bamboo-eating buddies arent following him to Beantown.Sam Li, a San Francisco Giants fan often inside one of the four humongous panda heads, said Wednesday he and his friends have decided they must find a new way to honour their team. They had worn those heads in tribute to Sandoval, nicknamed Kung Fu Panda by teammate Barry Zito in September 2008.After his $17.15 million, three-year contract ended with the Giants, Sandoval agreed to a $95 million, five-year deal with Boston this week, saying he needed a new challenge.Li, best friend Michael Jessen and about eight others have rotated under the panda heads in recent years. Li said in an email to The Associated Press that the group became Giants fans while attending college at California-Berkeley across the bay and found the original head on Amazon.com for about $130. They acquired the rest from a toy manufacturer who is a friend of Lis.We could not believe how much more fun those little somethings — the panda heads — brought to every San Franciscans life, Li wrote. For that, we felt the best. We have stuck those heads out of our car windows after games, and every single San Franciscan on the street brought a wide grin and joy. It is only a very small something, not more than say bringing a jacket to a game, but it touches so many people on so many levels, and in a lot of cases, changes peoples life. It is wonderful.Li said the group hopes to donate one of the panda heads to the Giants with the idea that it could be placed in the clubhouse or somewhere special in the ballpark to remember Sandovals contributions to World Series title teams in 2010, 12 and 14. Li termedd the head part of Giants history. Cheap NCAA Jerseys China. Sandoval, a free-swinging, switch-hitting third baseman, was MVP of the 2012 Series sweep of Detroit after a three-homer game in the opener.Sandoval wasnt even Lis favourite Giants player. That distinction goes to catcher Buster Posey, and the group wore Posey jerseys along with the panda heads.Everyone asked, Why 28 jersey with panda? We always answered, We are here for the team, Li said. It is teamwork, and the Giants have better teamwork than any other baseball team.Li said part of the pleasure of wearing the panda heads has been to support the Giants without making their identities known. Some of the group also wore fake facial hair during the Fear the Beard movement when bushy-bearded closer Brian Wilson worked the ninth inning for San Francisco.The only other member of the group Li identified by name was Jessen, president of Wallys Wine Auctions in New York. Li said he and his friends attended every post-season game during each World Series run.We must have about 10 different friends of ours inside a panda head at games, in some rotations, Li said. (Michael) is a Yankees fan, naturally, but the Giants are his National League team and West Coast team, so it fit well to his passion for the Yankees. Other friends are more shy like myself.They have enjoyed getting to know Sandoval and wish him well. But they are loyal to the orange and black and dont have a trip planned to Fenway Park to catch Sandoval in a Red Sox uniform next year.Good luck to Pablo, and we will watch Boston with interest, Li said. Nothing more. We will not cheer for any other player than in Giants jerseys. We will have to find something else to bring that dimension back to the game. We will retire the panda heads. ' ' '